Farukon no Kage
by Glowing Blue
Summary: She was unknown, her existence lying in the shadows. So he should really be honored that she chose him as her first witness, even if only for her own amusement. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.**

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><p>"Come on, Hitsugaya. Live a little!"<p>

"Yes, Shiro-chan. This will be a good experience for you. We're introducing you to exotic foods and culture, and it's healthy to get out once in a while."

Hitsugaya scowled, not buying any of the words his two companions were attempting to pacify him with. He did _not_ want to be here.

He looked out across the restaurant, taking in the colorful tapestries hanging on the walls that were also painted bright colors, and the excited couples and groups of friends seated in the many tables crowding the room already filled with many trinkets, chatting loudly over the deafening exotic music blaring out from the speakers situated around the room.

He wrinkled his nose in distaste at the scene before him. It was everything he hated; noise, crowds, foreign smells and sights and sounds. How could Shunsui and Ukitake have ever thought bringing him _here –_ a Moroccan restaurant, for Pete's sake – would be good for him?

"I'm leaving," he grumbled, already turning away from the scene and making a beeline for the front door behind him.

A pair of large hands grabbed his shoulders roughly, and Shunsui steered him back. It wasn't too hard, seeing as how the man was almost twice his size.

"Oh, no, you're not," he chided. "We've already made a reservation for three. And trying new things is good for you. _Especially _you, Hitsugaya. You've been nothing but dull lately."

Ukitake was nodding vigorously in the background, in complete agreement with the words of his best friend.

"All you do lately is work," his soon to be _ex-_friend added.

"It's not my fault the crime rate in this city's gone up ridiculously in the last month!" he argued hotly. Some people even turned around to look at them in curiosity. He resisted the urge to flip them off. "What was I _supposed _to do? Let all the criminals go free so I could get all chummy with a stripper at some club with you two?"

"Don't be absurd, Hitsugaya," Shunsui replied, rolling his eyes. "That's not until _tomorrow _night."

And with that dumbfounding statement, he dragged the speechless white haired man to an empty table set for three, smack dab in the middle of the social gatherers. The noise level and aroma of unfamiliar foods was even stronger there, and Hitsugaya's face soured even more.

A waitress immediately rushed over to them. She was dressed to match the room. Her garments consisted of a bright red long dress-like cloth draped over her figure. A small red sash tied around her waist held the sparkled and bejeweled matching coat in place over the dress underneath, its sleeves long and loose over her arms. Wrapped around her forehead was a matching sparkling red scarf, its ends collected and hanging against one shoulder.

Overall, Hitsugaya thought it was a bit excessive.

"May I help you gentlemen?" she asked in a bubbly voice. She looked like she was enjoying herself, and Hitsugaya couldn't understand why, since her clothes looked very uncomfortable.

Shunsui sent her a flirtatious smile.

"My, my," he said softly. "You look very dashing, young lady."

The waitress flushed darkly, almost matching her clothes in color.

"Oh, th-thank you," she replied, flustered, and began playing with the end of her sleeves, looking bashful. "My manager says everyone is required to wear this."

"He certainly has good taste," Shunsui continued, enjoying the reaction he was receiving. It had been a while since he had been able to charm such a young woman, and he enjoyed knowing he was still able to. "It suits you so well. That shade of red makes your skin look so white."

The girl bit her lip, and nodded shyly before rushing away, forgetting to take their order. Shunsui looked rather proud of himself as he grinned at the other two at the table. Ukitake simply shook his head, but Hitsugaya scowled.

"Wait until I tell Nanao about this," he mumbled, and the pleased smile was dropped clean off.

"Y-you wouldn't _really, _would you? You _know_ there's no one else for me but my dear Nanao-chan."

Before Hitsugaya could enjoy the satisfaction of making him suffer, a second waitress made her way over to them. She was dressed in similar garments as the first, except it was sleeveless and a deep blue color instead. The third contrast was that her face was set in a deep scowl of annoyance.

"Since _Akane _is unable to take your order right now," she said dryly, a glare in her eyes, "I guess _I'll _have to do it. Name's Aoi. What do you all want?"

The three placed the order they had not been able to do previously. Aoi simply nodded, a bored expression on her face, before stalking off.

"Why do I put up with you two?" Hitsugaya sighed after she was out of earshot, and Shunsui, who had been looking a little guilty at what he had done to young Akane, smirked.

"Because we were the only two college students willing to put up with the arrogant genius in our class who thought he was better than everyone else," he answered, snickering.

"You _were _rather unsociable," Ukitake remembered, a fond smile playing on his lips at the memory.

"I didn't _act _like I was better. I _was _better," Hitsugaya grumbled under his breath. Ukitake heard, and chuckled.

"Well, you _were _always at the top of the class," he admitted. "And you have such a well-paying job."

"Speaking of which, you'd think you'd be a little more interesting with that job of yours," Shunsui snorted. "I didn't know it was possible for someone to be a private detective with a success rate of one hundred percent and a special consultant for high profile cases for the Japanese Police, and still be such a stick-in-the-mud all the time."

"At least I take my work seriously," he shot back. "You leave Nanao to do everything. Frankly, I'm sure if you two hadn't been dating for so long, she would have quit being your secretary a long time ago."

"I'm sure of it, too," Shunsui replied, shrugging. "Makes me appreciate her even more."

Their conversation was cut off with the return of their waitress. She set their food in front of them, as well as a pitcher of water and three glasses.

"Will there be anything else?" she asked, tartly.

"No, thank you miss," Ukitake answered kindly, and her eyes softened slightly at his polite tone.

She bowed respectfully – more in his direction than the other two – and left them to their meal.

**.. ****ღ ****..**

"You sure about this?"

"Of course I am! Haven't you noticed the way he keeps coming out of his office and taking a look around the room? He's definitely expecting something to happen tonight."

"...I don't know. Wouldn't it have been on the news if they'd gotten a tip?"

"I heard they're trying to keep it quiet in order to finally catch him...or her."

"Excuse me," Ukitake interrupted the two gentlemen conversing at the table next to theirs. The two had been whispering, but the three had still heard their interesting topic, and their curiosity had been piqued. "May I ask what you gentlemen are talking about?"

One looked slightly uncomfortable at his inquiry and bit his lip as he looked over at his friend. The friend, however, looked delighted that they had asked, and seemed smug about the fact that he could flaunt his knowledge to someone who might perhaps be more believing than his companion.

"I heard the owner of this place is getting robbed tonight," he said in a hushed voice, leaning towards them so they could hear. Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows.

"And how would you know?" he asked.

"My cousin works for the police," the man replied, frowning a little at his distrust. "He said they got an anonymous tip from somebody who says he's gonna be targeted by..." - he paused as if to create a dramatic atmosphere, which was not possible with the music and noise in the background - "...the Farukon no Kage_._"

If he had expected the three to clutch their hearts and keel over in their chairs in shock, it did not happen. Instead, they stared at him blankly.

"Farukon no Kage_?_" Hitsugaya asked finally, eyebrows raised and lips quirked up in amusement. His investigative brain kicked into gear, however, as he pondered the name. _'Farukon...direct pronunciation of 'falcon' in English. Kage means 'shadow'...Falcon's Shadow?'_

The man glared at him.

"_Yes,_" he replied firmly. "I heard the owner's got some real valuables. Picked them up on a trip to Morocco a few years back. They used to hang around the room – part of the decor, you know – but he's removed them all. I'm sure he's being targeted. It's weird, but someone from the police station always gets a hot tip about when the robbery's gonna happen. Kage's real cocky from what I hear, and always finds some way to get rid of witnesses. Sometimes, they can even be in the same room as the police at the same time, yet they've never failed at stealing what they wanted."

"Oh? I haven't heard of any serial muders happening in this area? You did say this person finds ways to eliminate witnesses."

"See, the funny thing's that this robber has never hurt a soul. Anyone that's been found has only been knocked unconcious temporarily, and has had no injuries. In fact, it seems like Kage goes out of his or her way to _avoid _running into anyone or harming them."

"And who is this..._Farukon no Kage?_" Shunsui asked, looking very excited at the prospect of a robbery happening during their visit. Hitsugaya simply rolled his eyes.

The man grinned mysteriously.

"No one knows," he replied in a low tone. "No one's ever seen them. Of course, a lot of robbers are like that, but what's unique about the Kage is that there has_ never been a single trace or piece of evidence_ _of their existence, _except for the fact that valuables disappear right from under the owners' noses. We don't know if they're male or female, fat or thin, young or old, what they look like, not even their hair color. One time, a cop swore he smelled their cologne or perfume, but no one believes it."

"Hang on," Hitsugaya spoke up, his detective instincts kicking in. "How can this person be in the same room as the cops and still not be seen?"

"I heard they found some way to short circuit all the lights in the building." Surprisingly, it was the other man who spoke up. "By the time the backup generators kicked in ten seconds later, the painting the police had been guarding was long gone, and there was no trace of the robber in the perimeter at all. They were so fast it was like they tranported away, or simply vanished. All that was left was a small white feather."

"A feather?"

"Yes, that's Kage's signature. After each crime has been accomplished, they leave a white feather in place of the item they stole. Experts claim it's the feather of a gyrfalcon, and because this person is so mysterious and swift, they're called the Farukon no Kage."

Once again, Hitsugaya's keen mind flew into action. _'A gyrfalcon? Rather grand for a simple robbery. Hmmm. Gyrfalcon...spiritual meaning is 'maintain a knightly code in your activities.' The knightly code is obviously chivalry, which is associated with humility, respect, compassion, courtesy, honor, and integrity.'_ He mulled over the list. _'A message, perhaps? But, what kind of message is that to a victim you rob?'_

"Told you they were cocky," the man's friend continued. "The strange part is that there's never any evidence on the feathers. Kage is really smart; no fingerprints or hair samples. Though the police study each one carefully, they've never found anything."

"And you think there's going to be a robbery tonight?" Ukitake, ever the kind soul, looked concerned.

"Oh, definitely. If you watch the doors to the manager's office, you'll notice he comes out every five minutes or so, looking real nervous. I wouldn't be surprised if the Farukon no Kage was in this room with us at this very moment."

And with that mysterious comment, the two turned back to one another to return to their conversation. The three looked at each other.

"So, what do you make of this?" Shunsui asked his younger genius friend. "Reckon they're onto something?"

"It's _possible,_" he answered, eyebrows creased in contemplation," though I highly doubt it. This _is _one of the more undeveloped parts of the city, swimming with crime and poverty – the richer estates are in the northern area. Besides, I don't know enough about the situation, this person, or their patterns to predict when it will happen, or even whether if it _will_ happen."

Shunsui seemed rather disappointed. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes at him a second time.

_'I wonder who that man's cousin is,' _he thought as he returned to his meal. '_He souldn't be divulging police information like this to him. Idiot.'_

**.. ****ღ ****..**

The rest of dinner passed by in a blur for the detective. He vaguely remembered the foreign music on the speakers, that his lamb tasted slightly dry, Shunsui's rude jokes throughout the night, and Ukitake's weak smiles in response to his best friend's humor.

As expected, there was no robbery by any kind of criminal mastermind. However, the two men at the next table still had hopeful expressions on their faces. They had finished eating long ago, and had to pay their waitress extra to be allowed to occupy their table.

Not quickly enough, Shunsui was signaling Aoi for their check. She glared at him, but smiled when Ukitake complimented her on the food.

"I enjoyed it very much," he assured her.

"Thank you, sir." She was practically beaming.

As the three made to get up, she suddenly stopped them.

"We have entertainment starting now, if you would like to stay and watch," she informed them.

"Entertainment?" Shunsui asked, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

Aoi did not bother looking his way – Hitugaya smirked at this – or turning away from Ukitake as she answered.

"Uh-huh. I think the manager said they were a group of dancers."

"Sounds interesting," Shunsui mused. "I think we should stay."

"No," Hitsugaya snapped. "Let's go."

But the two were already re-seating themselves, and he scowled as he had no choice but to follow.

After a moment, the music that had been playing stopped – the new silence seemed almost deafening after all the noise. But then, a very different song began to play.

Slowly, the curtains on the stage at the front of the room opened, and a group of eight women stepped out.

They were all dressed the exact same way, but in different colors, just like the waitresses in the restaurant. However, their clothes were different, and, in Hitsugaya's opinion, they were very gaudy and demeaning.

Each woman was dressed in an excessively sequined tube top, their midriffs and shoulders and arms bare for the room to see. Their legs were covered in parachute pants made of silk material, hanging low on their hips, with belts matching their tops sewn to the garment. Their feet were bare, but masks matching the color of their choice, tied from the nose down so the audience could only see their eyes, covered their faces.

The eyes, too, however, were very overly done. Each pair was caked with dark eye make-up, perhaps to create a sense of mystery, though he thought they looked ridiculous. All eight women had their hair tied up in a tame bun at the nape of their neck, with bangs framing their faces over their mask. Styled into their hair was a net covering, again a matching color, and each wore gold bagels on their wrists and ankles.

The worst part was that each of their costumes was heavily adorned with tiny bells sewn onto their clothing. When they moved – and they moved _a lot_, as that was their job – a high-pitched noise sounded as they all rang at the same time, irritating his ears.

Everyone else admired and applauded them as they shook their hips, twirled around the room, and pulled audience members to dance with them, but he was aggravated by the display, and wished Shunsui and Ukitake weren't so delighted by the dance so they could leave. He was sulking.

And then, someone caught his eye.

It was a petite dancer, hardly taller than him, clothed in a pale purple color that complemented her creamy skin very well. Her wavy black hair was tied up like the rest, but the purple netting in it stood out from the color, and it suited her. Her eyes were a deep shade of gray, and although the make-up made the other girls seem cheap, the darkness surrounding her eyes truly made her look alluring and mysterious, as had been intended.

As she twirled by their table, he got a good look at her, and blushed as he took notice of her anatomy. She was very curvy; her waist was petite, her hips dainty, her stomach flat, and her legs long. Overcoming his sudden embarrassment, he forced himself to take a closer look. What struck him as odd was that her body was undoubtedly very fit. Her arms held small muscles – definitely not an unattractive size, in his opinion – as if she spent much time working out on her upper body strength.

And now that he had noticed, the rest of her physique was the same way. Her abs were prominent, her calves seemed sturdy, and she had a certain grace in her lithe movements. She was certainly very poised; he watched her maneuver her way through the jungle of tables gracefully, her steps never faltering, her movements never hesitating as she danced for her audience.

But perhaps he was over thinking it; it was natural for a dancer to develop strong muscles from the rigorous exercise that came with the job. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that this was no average dancer. His uncertainty was quelled, however, only a moment later.

No one else had noticed, but he did, perhaps because he had been trained to catch details. His eyes widened.

The dancer he had been watching shot out her hand and brushed her fingers against the neck of an unsuspecting waitress in the corner of the room, pressing her pressure point very discreetly - his heart jolted as he recognized her as the bubbly, but shy, Akane. Because of the noise and laughter and eye-catching activities in the room, no one noticed when the maid crumpled to the floor, or when the dancer used her bare foot to kick one of the draperies on the wall over her body, covering her from view.

His mind was screaming at him to call attention to the screen, to take control of the commotion, to arrest the dancer who had just assaulted a young girl in public.

But he didn't. He _couldn't._

Something compelled him to stay in his seat, to simply watch the mystifying dancer as she moved across the room, to allow her to go free. And that's exactly what he did.

He watched as she spun around, as she shook her hips, as she swiftly knocked over one of the plates resting atop one of the tables onto the woman seated there without anyone realizing it was her doing. The woman shrieked and ordered her boyfriend to gather their things to head out.

"Do you have any idea how _expensive _this dress was_?_! We need to get this dry-cleaned right away! If it stains..."

He could hear the cries of the woman as she rushed out the front door, but his eyes still had not left the form dancing around the room, a mischievous gleam in her own eyes.

Soon, more unconscious figures had been slyly hidden under draperies, more "accidents" had caused people to storm out of the restaurant earlier than planned, and half the room had emptied out before the end of the first dance. Yet no one noticed that this cunning dancer was the cause of all this – except him.

He didn't understand what she was doing.

_'Reducing witnesses,' _was the first thought that popped into his mind. But he shook his head, forcing the idea out. It was absurd; what was she going to do that required her to have no witnesses, anyway?

The manager was baffled. He had been standing in a corner of the room, watching the dance with satisfaction at first because it had been so popular with visitors, but suddenly, he had lost all of his customers. How?

"They really are something, huh, Hitsugaya?" Shunsui asked him, watching the dancers with fascination.

"I'd say he thinks so," Ukitake replied, a small smirk on his face. "He's been staring at one of them this entire time."

It took Shunsui all but two seconds to process this with a slack jaw, and then he grinned widely.

"Hitsugaya, you dog! I didn't know you had it in you!"

"That's not it!"

But any other argument he had was drowned out by the sound of the fire alarm. He whirled his head towards his mystery woman and saw her elbow swiftly swing far away from the alarm at the other end of the room. Panic set in immediately. The remaining guests and dancers were suddenly hysterical as they leaped out of their chairs and began pushing one another in a frenzy to get to the exit.

"Shiro-chan, let's go!"

Ukitake's words barely registered in his mind, as his eyes never strayed from the person they had been observing. As his two companions rushed for the front door with the throng of other people, he chose to continue watching her. She was poised at a corner of the room, hidden underneath the shadows, quietly eying the frantic crowd in search of her target. And when she found it, her eyes lit up in excitement.

He followed her line of sight and saw the manager of the restaurant – a small and chubby man, balding at an early age – rush farther into his building, and back into his office.

Now that was odd; the fire alarms were ringing, so why would he choose to head towards danger?

The mystery was solved when he came barreling back into the room a second later. But there was something different about him. Around his neck now was a thin gold chain, and attached to it was a small charm, an exotic design engraved into it.

He watched as the man followed his guests and employees to the front door, as the sneaky dancer eyed the locket with anticipation, as she crouched and then bolted after him with unnatural speed and grace, her gaze never leaving the locket.

He didn't know what compelled him to do it.

One minute he was watching the masked dancer rush towards the manager running for the door, his hand wrapped tightly around the locket hanging from his neck, and the next, he had stuck his foot out from under the table, just as the man ran past him. The portly man tripped over it, and when he landed on the floor headfirst, he was unconscious.

If anybody ever found out, he would be an accomplice to a heinous crime. But no one _would_ find out. The entire area had emptied, save for him, the dancer, and the unconscious body lying beside him. He heard the sirens of fire trucks approaching outside, the ringing fire alarms a sign that they were all in danger.

But they weren't, because the Farukon no Kage had gotten what she had wanted.

In one swoop, she grabbed the locket hanging out from the man's jacket and pulled it off with an easy tug. Then, she reached into her tube top – he flushed and looked away quickly – and pulled out a small, white feather. Smoothing it out, she let it drop to the floor, where it drifted, ever so slowly, onto the unconscious manager still lying there, marking the completion of her crime.

Jut before she left, to his complete surprise, she lunged sideways onto his table, crouching down so they were face-to-face.

As she leaned forward without hesitation, she stuck a finger under her mask and tugged it down. He had only one moment to take in her beauty – the shining obsidian bangs framing her creamy white face, the alluring dark orbs framed by long lashes and glittering with mischief, the small round nose that made her face seem delicate, and the plump pink mouth, curled into a smirk to match the slyness in her eyes – before she grabbed the back of his head, pushed his face forward forcefully, and pressed her lips hotly to his.

He didn't move, didn't react. His hands clutched the edge of the table as he let this unknown woman, possibly a wanted criminal, _kiss _him with fervor. When she pulled back, her purple mask drifted to his lap, and her fully visible face was set in amusement, probably at his dumbstruck expression.

She leaned towards his ear slowly, and he heard a soft giggle escape her.

"Thanks for the help, _short stuff_."

And then the Farukon no Kage leaped away, jumping skillfully and soundlessly through an open window, her golden prize clutched tightly in her hand as she disappeared into the night.

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><p>Okay, I totally couldn't resist putting this up any longer! If any of you have read my profile, you knew I was working on this (hooray for cliché plotlines!). Suddenly hit with inspiraton all this week, I have 5 (<em>super long)<em> chapters completed and 2 in-progress (half done). I hadn't planned on putting this up _at all, _but I really want to know how many people would actually want to read the rest of this. This is just a little teaser, and I'm not putting up the rest until I _am _completely finished (it helps, since I've been changing little details around a lot, but this chapter will not change), so I can focus on my other stories.

And I totally picked a super lame name for her thief alias on purpose, just because I thought it was funny :P I also love punny names, which is why the waitress in red is named _Akane_ (茜) meaning "brilliant red," and the waitress in blue is named _Aoi_ (碧) meaning "blue" (like me!) :D

Again, if you've read my profile, you know the next few chapters will be flashbacks to explain Toushiro and Karin's lives up to this point. And then the story picks up right from where I left off here. So, once I finish, Toushiro's story is up next!


	2. I: Toushiro

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.**

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><p>When Toushiro was younger, he always had a soft spot for mystery movies. There was nothing that excited him more than a new video with a brand new crime to solve. His face always lit up brightly when he discovered who the criminal was before the detective in the movie did, and his family always paused the screen to allow him a chance to explain everything he had discovered, such as the thief and their motives and their plans.<p>

His father was always so proud of his son's ability that he loved to spoil him. Toushiro's bookshelves were covered in mystery novels – even the most gruesome ones – and their movie nights always consisted of action flicks and mysteries.

Soon, fake crimes weren't enough for him, and he kept a lookout in real life for any strange happenings. As he grew older, the intensities changed, from the missing shoe case to smashed windows. His father was absolutely delighted with each case he solved, and his mother simply went along with their antics, only because all this thinking was really applying her son's mind.

Kids thought he was strange. It didn't matter if he revealed that Megumi had simply left her lunch box in her cubby and that it had not been stolen, or if he discovered that some of the kids had stolen a soccer ball from the shed and kept it hidden so only they could play with it rather than all the other kids; his classmates sent him strange looks. But still, he helped, and the only thing that mattered was that proud gleam in his parents' eyes.

"Come here, son," his father called to him one day at the tender age of six. "There's someone I want you to meet."

He raced down the house steps quickly, wondering if he had been given a new case to solve. At the door, however, was a young man with the most stoic face he had ever laid eyes upon. Dressed in a long, black coat with his raven hair flowing down to his shoulders, he looked so very much like the mystery detectives in the movies. Toushiro gazed at him in complete awe, his mouth slightly parted as he listened to his father's explanation.

"This is Kuchiki Byakuya," his father introduced him. "He's a detective right here for our police department, and a friend of mine."

Toushiro bowed respectfully to the awe-inspiring man. Byakuya didn't compensate, keeping his hands tucked in his coat pockets and only moving his eyes down to gaze at him critically. It only made him look that much cooler.

"How would you like to see what it's like to be a real detective?" his father asked him, a grin pulling at his lips. Toushiro's eyes widened as he finally tore his gaze away from Byakuya. "Kuchiki-san has agreed to let you go with him to work from time to time and observe."

The little boy nodded enthusiastically. "I get to be like a real detective?" he said in wonder. His father chuckled.

"Yes, son," he answered fondly. "What do you say?"

"Yes!"

At that very young age, Toushiro proudly got a ride with his father to the police station every Friday after school. The officers knew of him by now, and greeted him fondly every time he arrived. He would then stride to the office in the far corner of the building, the words _Kuchiki Byakuya, Private Detective _etched onto the glass window of the door.

Though he came at the same time every week, he still soundly knocked on the door three times as a sign of respect, and waited for the man to call for entry before opening the door. He always found Byakuya sitting behind his desk, stoically working on paperwork. The man didn't even look up when he entered and closed the door behind him, and he would routinely sit in the chair in front of the desk.

He would wait quietly until Byakuya finished with his present work, and then he would take the stack for him and file it away in the drawers at the corner of the room. Meanwhile, Byakuya would make some tea and then the two would sit and sip it. Tea time was the man's relaxing time, so Toushiro would respect that and keep silent.

And _then, _he was finally allowed to ask questions. He would ask about the man's previous cases, the type of cases he had taken on, the number of criminals he had jailed, why he chose this line of work. Byakuya would answer to the best of his ability, sometimes even getting into it enough to give more than one sentence answers.

It was, in his mind, so, _so _cool.

The most exciting things happened on the weekends. He would finish all his homework upon returning home on Fridays, and then on Saturdays, he could spend the entire day with Byakuya. That was when the detective thoughtfully saved all the outings and suspect questionings, so he could be a part of it. It had been a little scary at first, but he had grown used to tagging along. Of course, he was kept away from the more dangerous cases, and he always had to stay in the car if Byakuya had to enter any place that was too gaudy and deadly for a seven year old. But otherwise, he was right there beside the man.

He loved every minute of the exchange, even the silent moments. Just _being _in a detective's office was enough for him. He would eye the room in awe, imagining how he would set up his own office when he became a detective. His father would come later and pick him up, and he would thank Byakuya by bowing before rushing out. And then, on the way home, he would regale his father with countless reasons why Byakuya was just _awesome._

The man became his number one hero.

**.. ****ღ ****..**

Graduating wasn't such a big deal for the young detective. To him, it was simply walking down a stage, accepting a piece of paper, and shaking a whole bunch of hands with people he couldn't be bothered to remember. The kissing and hugging and crying of his parents that followed afterwards was even more unwelcome. However, his heart almost skipped a beat when he first realized that Kuchiki Byakuya had taken time out of his busy schedule to come see him, especially. When they made eye contact, the man gave him just the tiniest of little nods and an even smaller smile before he wandered back to his car in a very dignified manner.

That was the last time he had seen his mentor.

The days following his freedom from high school were hectic times of clothing and books and suitcases and good-byes. Soon, he found himself packed and boarding his train out to the city at the station.

"Oh, my baby," his mother crooned, wiping at the tears pooling in her eyes. Grabbing him by the neck, she pulled him down and placed a tearful kiss on his forehead. "Take care of yourself. And make sure to call. And lock your doors at night. Don't get too caught up in partying to focus on your studies. And _especially _don't bring back one of those _city _girls and tell me she's pregnant -"

"Sweetheart," his father chuckled, squeezing her hand and cutting off her rant. "Our boy hardly needs to hear that speech." He sent a stern look to Toushiro. "Right, son?"

"Yes, Otou-san," he replied, automatically. After a firm handshake with him and pecking his mother's cheek, he stepped onto the locomotive, bustling through the halls for an empty seat.

His time with his hero had changed him, though he hadn't noticed it at first. Rather than the energetic, aspiring young boy he had been, he had become a stoic young man, always reserved and quiet. So, as other graduates excitedly chattered with each other on the seats beside him, he simply looked out the train window, his eyes slanted in a bored manner as the scenery flickered by. When he stepped out of the train, his face changed to an irritated scowl as he pushed his way through the crowd, but on the cab ride, he was stoic once again.

Soon, they were pulling up next to the curb.

"Take care of yourself, kid," his driver grunted as he clambered out of the back seat. Pocketing the money he had been given, he smoothly pulled away, driving down the road in search of the next customer. Toushiro watched him for a little longer, and then faced his destination.

His new school was so different from those he had attended all of his life. For one, he was used to dainty, rickety buildings, small enough to blend into a small town like his. But now, his neck actually tilted his head back as he looked up at his brand new university. The campus stretched on for a far distance, and the brown building seemed even more impressive out in the secluded area it stood on, surrounded by green fields and a brick wall.

With an indifferent sigh, he hitched his bags onto his shoulder and grabbed one other before he headed for the dorm rooms. Standing around here wasn't doing him much good, so he took a look around as he walked on. Although the entrance had been completely deserted, inside, hordes of university students ran past him, chatting happily and not paying him any mind. Some looked _very _old, while others seemed nervous, and he deduced they were new, like him. Not that he paused or took an interest. He was here to learn, not make friends.

He pulled a map of the layout out of one of his suitcases, and glanced at it, making a mental note of his destination. Maybe after he settled, he could find time to take a look at the library. Back at his old school, that had always been his greatest and most helpful tool, both in studying and solving crimes.

However, Hitsugaya had only just exited the main building to the back when he came across a very peculiar scene. It was a man and a woman, standing not too far down the path to the dorms. She had a deep blush covering her face, her face twisted into shock, but for a good reason. Her companion, a young male with wavy brown hair, had her hand in his grasp, and he was gazing up at her adoringly as he kissed the back of her palm.

He watched in surprise as the girl, a scowl suddenly planted firmly on her face, yanked her hand back and slapped him straight across the face, stalking off angrily soon afterwards. With a goofy grin, the man patted his stinging face, still smiling as he watched her retreating figure. Hitsugaya had never seen anything like it, having come from a small town where such a thing would have been a scandal and brought shame to the family. He couldn't forget the uncomfortable look on the girl's face.

"Should I report you for sexual harassment?" Hitsugaya asked, dryly.

With a sheepish expression at having been caught, the student turned around.

"Nah," he answered off-handedly when he took notice of the stoic student watching him carefully. "That's Nanao." Jerking a thumb after the tiny dot that was Nanao, he grinned widely. "She just likes playing hard to get, but, don't worry. She's gonna be my girlfriend some day." Not at all embarrassed by such an intimate declaration, he stuck out his hand. "I'm Kyoraku Shunsui, by the way."

"...Hitsugaya Toushiro," he offered after a moment, taking the hand a little reluctantly.

"You new?" Kyoraku questioned. He nodded.

"First year," he told him. The two picked up a steady pace as they wandered down the path together. Kyoraku forcefully took one of his bags to help him lighten the weight.

"Great!" Kyoraku exclaimed, clapping his back. "I've always wanted a kouhai."

Toushiro snarled under his breath, shrugging off the heavy grasp on his shoulder.

"I don't need such an unethical sempai," he shot back. Kyoraku blinked in surprise before he threw his head back and roared with laughter.

"You're a fiery one, aren't you?" he choked out. "Don't worry. I've got someone on my side that you won't be able to resist." Toushiro gazed at him in bemusement, not sure what to make of the comment, but Kyoraku was looking ahead. In fact, his face lit up tremendously as he caught sight of something not too far away. Waving his hand over his head, he called out, "Speak of the devil. Oi, Jyuushiro!"

To his surprise, a man with hair as white as his own waved back cheerfully, a warm smile curling his lips as he wandered over to them.

"This is Ukitake Jyuushiro," Kyoraku explained. "He's in my year."

"Shunsui, who's this?" he asked, blinking as he looked down at Toushiro in polite confusion.

"_This _is Toushiro," Kyoraku introduced them grandly. "He's our newest, cute little kouhai. Treat him kindly."

The glare Toushiro shot at him could have frightened the toughest of men, but Kyoraku just laughed stupidly.

"What are you studying, Toushiro?" Ukitake asked him curiously.

"Criminal law," he answered through gritted teeth. Kyoraku gaped at him.

"You, a police officer?" he cried. He blinked several times, his face twisted into a pained expression. A moment later, it smoothed out as he snickered. "Nope. Can't imagine it."

"I'm going into private investigation," Toushiro supplied coolly, crossing his arms in irritation.

"_Ah. _Now _that _I can believe." He stared off in the distance. "Toushiro, the loner genius, solving the toughest crimes without even batting a perfect eyelash." Laughing, he threw an arm over Hitsugaya. "Suits you."

"I have to agree," Ukitake added, nodding enthusiastically as the detective-to-be pushed his "sempai's" hands off of him. "You definitely give off that vibe. Like you were made for that kind of job."

_'I barely know these two,' _Toushiro thought incredulously. _'Who says that to someone they just met?'_

And thus began the most reluctant friendship Hitsugaya had ever experienced. The two, he found out, lived two whole floors below him in the dorms, though they _always _took care to pay him a visit every morning and every evening, despite his protests. More often than not, Kyoraku would bring a crate of sake, and Hitsugaya's roommate would gladly allow them entry with the offering. Soon, most of the boys on his floor would end up in the room, drinking and having a good time, in awe of their upperclassmen.

Hitsugaya didn't drink. Neither of his parents had ever been much of partakers in alcohol, and he followed their example. Instead, he would shut his bedroom door and curl onto his bed with his law textbook, gritting his teeth and trying to ignore the ridiculous noise emanating from beyond the door. He would have tattled to the dorm advisor a long time ago, except that _he _was also out there, drinking and partying.

The only part of the entire ritual he appreciated was Ukitake Jyuushiro. The man, too, never partook in any of the alcohol abuse, but because he had excessive problems with his health. Therefore, he never took any chances with liquor. When he could sneak away from the rowdy Kyoraku, he would bring Toushiro tea to his room, and the two would sit and sip and study together.

"How do you stand him?" he grumbled to the man from time to time, mostly when they heard him drunkenly croon for his Nanao-chan. This was usually followed by the sound of a sharp slap by the very same girl.

Jyuushiro grinned weakly. "I know it's hard to believe, but we're best friends. He's really a good man."

Toushiro didn't want to believe it, but he had to begrudgingly admit that Ukitake was right. Both he and Kyoraku were such open and honest people, ready and willing to accept anyone – even him.

He was glad to have friends like them, no matter how much he liked to complain.

**.. ****ღ ****..**

"And so, there is no need for any further investigation," Hitsugaya said lazily, his eyes remaining hard as he gazed at the bloodied corpse before him on the ground. "The killer is her husband, a greedy man who was only after her abundant inheritance this entire time."

"But, he's in America on a business trip!" a police officer on the scene argued. "His secretary even confirmed it. There's no way he could have -"

"The proof," Hitsugaya cut across him, "is in her purse. You'll find packages of cigarettes inside, with a receipt for only yesterday. Neighbors have confirmed she never smoked, but her husband did. So, she was obviously buying them for him, meaning he _couldn't _have been in America at the time of his death. It would make no sense for anyone to buy something two weeks in advance. He was _here_, he murdered her, and then caught a private flight out of the country to create an alibi." He turned his flashing gaze on the cops, daring them to contradict him. "It would be easy to blackmail his secretary and staff into agreeing to lie for him; they work for him, after all, and many are desperate enough to keep their jobs to do so. Call the airport and have them confirm my theory, if you still don't believe it."

With that, he strode out of the room, heading to the front of his house, where his car was parked and waited for him. The mother of the victim had already paid him in advance when she'd hired him for the case that morning. From the room beyond, he could hear the officers voicing their awe at his ability to solve the case after only one day of investigating, but he was just that good.

He was making a good name for himself as a private investigator already, and he'd graduated top of his class only two years ago, after six years of schooling. Despite having their own graduation years prior, Kyoraku and Jyuushiro had made a point of showing up to his, cheering and hooting embarrassingly loudly when his name had been called – louder than even his parents. He'd refused to even acknowledge their presence that evening, but his parents had been ecstatic at meeting his friends, going as far as to tell them _all _of Hitsugaya's childhood memories. He'd been so thankful when Nanao had shown up to drag her rowdy boyfriend back to work by the ear. (In the end, persistence had won out and she had finally agreed to date Kyoraku, who had made a point of being the perfect gentleman, leading their relationship to last all these years).

"Hitsugaya-san!" someone called from inside, and he paused and turned to find one of the cops rushing to him, looking a little nervous. He usually had that effect on a lot of people.

"What is it?" he asked dryly.

"Our chief of police asked to please speak with you this evening," he answered.

"What for?"

The man shrugged. "My job was to simply relay the message, and to tell you chief'll be waiting for you at the police station in the office, so if you decide to go, drop by before six."

"Very well," Hitsugaya said with a sigh. This was troublesome, but he should at least go see what the chief wanted, so as not to be rude. So, with a new destination in mind, he walked out the front and ran down the steps, sliding into his car and buckling up. With a rather bored expression, he drove down the street, passing rich civilians riding in their fancy and expensive cars. That was a lifestyle he hadn't known for most of his life, but was slowly growing used to. With his high success rate and accordingly high prices, his life was changing from what it had always been. He had never really been one for extravagance, though, so he only spent enough to pay his rent and buy the necessities, and sent the rest to his parents, for _them _to live in comfort.

With an indifferent expression, he cut the engine as he turned into the police station parking lot. It was emptying, many of the police officers heading home, but a few cars were coming in too, for those that were on duty in the night. Ignoring the jumble of cars, he swiftly shut his car door behind him and strode into the building.

"Good evening, Hitsugaya-san," some officers greeted him respectfully. He stoically nodded at each of them, though not bothering to stop and converse. He was here for only one purpose.

Down the hall, he stopped at a door that read, _Chief of Police. _Without hesitation, he knocked.

"Come in," came the rough voice from inside, and he entered.

"Chief Soi-Fon," he acknowledged her. The woman looked up from her paperwork, and smirked when she recognized him.

"Ah, Hitsugaya-san. Please, sit."

He did so in a chair across from her desk. When he was as comfortable as he could be, she smirked.

"So glad you could make it," she made conversation.

"Of course," he replied. "One of your officers told me you had something important to discuss?"

"Yes, yes," she agreed. "You see, Hitsugaya-san, I've been keeping an eye on you for these past few months." He raised an eyebrow, but she didn't notice and continued, "You're quick in solving cases, and accurate in your results, beating out even my police force most of the time." Her face wrinkled slightly at the thought, but then she shook her head and dismissed it. Instead, she looked at him with determination. "I think you could be a very valuable asset to our department."

He raised both eyebrows this time. "Are you asking me to...?"

"Work for me," she demanded clearly. "I'd like to hire you as an investigator for our team."

He sighed. "That's very kind of you, but -"

"Of course, not _every _case," she interrupted him, looking defiant as if refusing to allow him to decline the offer. "Simply the high-profile ones. I'm well aware you have your own private business, and I have no problem with that. But it would be comforting to have you to call if my team proves...incompetent. What do you say?"

He wanted to refuse. He didn't like working with others if he could avoid it. Others were too distracting or clumsy and irritating. He worked best on his own brain power. But, one image kept flashing through his mind: Kuchiki Byakuya, his idol. He couldn't shake the memory that his hero had worked for a police force, too. When he'd been young, he'd looked up to the man, wanted to be like him. Well, this was his chance.

"I can refuse any cases I choose?" he asked for clarification. "And I can still retain my freedom as a private investigator?"

"Of course," she answered immediately. She was determined to have him on her team. "We can work out the details before we sign you on, but that _is _the basic gist of it. You'll basically be our back-up from time to time."

He smirked. "Well then, I can hardly refuse."

She grinned in triumph. "I look forward to our partnership, Hitsugaya-san."

The two shook hands.

* * *

><p>Well, sorry for the dullness. Toushiro's story is a little plain - basically, I just wanted to explain how he became friends with Ukitake and Kyoraku, and how and why he became a detective for the police, which is why he only has this one chapter for his past story. I promise things pick up with Karin's story, up next. After all, <em>she <em>has the interesting past :)

And no, I haven't finished the story yet. This is what I've decided to do: I feel _really guilty _that I haven't updated in a while. I've been writing for all my stories, but I haven't finished yet. So, this is sort of my way to ease my own guilt :P Until I finish, whenever I feel like I'm lacking in updates, I'll put up a chapter of this, just to let you guys know that I'm still alive and writing ^^ If you don't follow this story...sorry, but this is all I've got ^^' So, If I haven't updated any of my other stories by next week, I'll put up the next chapter.


	3. I: Karin

So, here's the beginning of Karin's story. Unlike Toushiro's, this one will be longer, and unless some _super_ important addition to the plot that requires its own chapter makes its way into my head, this'll be four chapters.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.**

* * *

><p>"What a pity for that poor child. Such a shame at that age."<p>

"What's going to happen to her now?"

"Someone from her family will have to take her, I suppose."

"She doesn't have any. No one's come to visit her since the accident, and the courts can't find anyone."

"It's off to the orphanage for her, then."

"But who'll want to adopt her? I mean, _look at her_. She looks half dead, and everyone in the area knows what a monster she is, always covered in mud."

"_Shh_. What if she hears you?"

Despite her neighbor's attempt to quiet everyone's gossiping, Karin couldn't really comprehend what they were saying about her in hushed whispers to one another, anyway. And besides, one of them had hit the nail right on the head. She _was _half dead; at least, she felt like it.

After all, what was the point in living when there was nothing to live _for?_

She wished it had been little Yuzu, or her strong brother, or her goofy father, who had slept over at a friend's house last night. That way, when her childhood home had spontaneously exploded from an undetected gas leak in the house next door, _she _would be the one who was dead, and someone from her beloved family would have survived in her place, alive to see the start of another day and the wonders it had to offer.

She couldn't see any wonders. All she saw from her position crouching at the corner of the police station, her arms wrapped around her knees and her body rocking, was the many nearby homeowners who had come to give their story of the explosion, and the police officers who had questioned her nonstop since she had arrived so early in the morning.

She remembered every detail so clearly. Her family had wished her goodbye in the past evening, hoping she would enjoy her evening, and her father had driven her to her friend's house. Although he had begged her for a kiss on the cheek at the doorstep, she had refused, instead choosing to stomp inside and ignore the man's embarrassing wailing. She wished she had complied now.

Her friend's mother had frantically woken her not too long after midnight. At first, she had just burrowed more deeply into her blanket and pillow, sleepy from playing all day and not wanting to awaken just yet. But the frantic shaking of her shoulders hadn't stopped, so she had woken up, and had only groggily comprehended that she was being driven back home.

Her head had cleared when she had seen the house. It was completely destroyed, nothing left but ash and rubble. Her family had been nowhere to be found.

She had stood there in a daze, staring at the mess with wide, agonized eyes and lips parted in shock. She hadn't moved a single step towards the crumbled building, choosing instead to squeeze the hand of her friend's mother tightly and gape. She had only vaguely heard the wailing of the ambulance and the cries of those who had been lucky enough to escape with their lives, only heavily injured.

The police had arrived shortly after and had taken her from the woman holding her hand tightly, ushering her to the back seat of a cop car quickly. She had looked out the window at the destruction in complete and utter horror as they drove away to the station. That was the last memory she had of her beloved home.

Her eyes and face were blank though she had shed no tears, despite the grief of her loss having set in a long time ago. Now, she barely responded to anyone, and no one dared to suggest she move from her spot. They let her sit on the floor in a corner of the room, lost in her own spiraling thoughts, until the sun dipped below the horizon and a long time after that, hoping that with time she would be mentally stable enough to give worthwhile testimony to the death of her only family.

Yet another one of her neighbors had gossiped right. It was true that she had no family – no aunts or uncles, no grandparents, not even any distant cousins in some far off corner of the planet. Both her parents had been only children, and had come from small families consisting of elders who had died long ago. And now, the rest of the Kurosaki bloodline, sans her, had died, too.

**.. ****ღ ****..**

It was late in the night when Karin finally became aware of the presence of an unfamiliar woman in the room. Though her expressionless face did not fade, she did eye her with curiosity bubbling within her. The only other girl she had ever met with hair as orange as her brother's was Orihime, but despite their shared traits in hair color and ample bust size, this female was most definitely not the ditzy high schooler she knew.

There was a maturity oozing out of her; the way she spoke, the way her brows furrowed as she argued with the police officers in the next room she could see into through the window, the way her fist pounded a tabletop in anger, the way she held a thick manila folder filled with files, even the way she was dressed in a black pencil, knee-length skirt and a black blazer with the deep purple blouse underneath buttoned all the way to her neck.

But what awed Karin most was her heels. Since she came from such a small town, there was hardly ever any reason for anyone to dress up. She remembered when she was little, she and Yuzu had always admired her mother's high heels, kept safely buried deep within her closet and only worn for special occasions. But this woman, adorned in six-inch heeled black stilettos, seemed so foreign to her small town, wearing such extravagant clothing and shoes for no special reason or occasion. She stood out, and Karin felt herself drawn to her.

After a moment's hesitation, Karin stood from her spot for the first time in hours, and sauntered over to the room to better hear the heated discussion she was having with a law enforcer.

"I have the paperwork right here. Look, these transfer documents put her in _my _custody. That means _I_ get to make all decisions about her, so just give her to me or I swear I'll call my lawyer!"

"Ma'am, please calm down. We wish we could give her to you, but she still needs to be questioned -"

"The girl just lost her entire family, for crying out loud! This isn't the time to be asking her questions about it. It's the time to comfort her, but you're only you're traumatizing her!"

"She is the only surviving member of the family; we need her to remember anything out of place in the home before she left so we can pinpoint the exact time, cause, and other details of the leak and explosion."

"And you think a _six-year-old _can give you a breakdown of the scene?"

"She's the best witness we have from her household. And besides, we still need our own lawyers to check your paperwork before we can release her into your custody."

"Oh, that's load of baloney. My papers are legit; Isshin's own signature is right on them!"

"You knew my daddy?"

Both the mystery lady and the cop jumped at the sudden question. Whirling around, they found the young Kurosaki watching the woman carefully, distrust but hope in her eyes. The woman was suddenly all smiles.

"Hi there, sweetheart. You must be Karin-chan, right? I'm Matsumoto Rangiku, but you can just call me Ran-chan!"

"Did you know my daddy?" Karin asked again, urgency in her voice this time.

"Yes, I did. He was a dear friend of mine, and so was your mother."

"How come I never met you?" Karin questioned, her eyes narrowed. Ever since her mother had died at the hand of a serial killer, she had learned not to trust people so easily, and so her questions were always wise when she met new people.

Matsumoto sighed.

"I moved very far, far away right after college," she explained. "We used to talk over the phone, and both your mommy and daddy used to tell me a lot about you and your brother and sister. You must miss them a lot, huh, honey?"

The little six-year-old nodded and her bottom lip jutted out, her face puckering as if she might cry, but her large doe-like eyes showed a determination that she would not let any tears fall. It broke Matsumoto's heart. She forced the smile to stay on her face as she placed her hand on her knees and bent down towards the little girl.

"Well, he was very, very worried about what would happen to you or your brother or your sister if he wasn't around anymore, and so he asked me to take care of you." Karin blinked.

"Daddy wants me to go with you?" she asked quietly, and her brow furrowed as if she was deep in thought about whether to trust those words.

Matsumoto beamed. "That's right! He knew you and I would have lots of fun together!"

"Now, ma'am," the cop suddenly interrupted them, looking very uncomfortable. "I don't need you planting ideas in her head until she's been questioned and your paperwork has been checked."

Matsumoto sent an impressively heated glare in his direction.

"I'm not _planting _anything in her head," she argued hotly. "I'm giving her a choice, unlike _some _people. And I already told you, my paperwork's as real as that ridiculous fur on your lip!"

The cop flushed, scratching his nose to hide his thick mustache behind his hand as he muttered under his breath.

"Now hang on -"

As the adults argued, Karin tried her best to digest the information she had received. Fortunately, there hadn't been lots of big words, and she could tell that Matsu – _Ran-chan,_ she corrected herself, remembering the woman's preference – genuinely wanted to take her, if the way she argued for her was anything to go by. But, did that mean she _should_ go with her?

Without a word, she stood on her very tippy-toes, and grabbed at one of the files on the table that was too high up for her to reach without stretching as far as possible. She knew she wouldn't understand anything, but she needed some proof that she could trust Ran-chan.

The adults watched in surprise as she clutched the official transfer documents in her hand, and their expressions softened – even the police officer's – when her eyes saddened as she caught sight of her father's signature on it. She remembered this signature. She remembered bringing home tests from school, and the way her father had been so proud of her grade, whether it be sensational or horrendous, and how he had used to croon over it before signing it for her to bring back to her teacher with the same scrawl she was running a finger over now.

"I want to go with you," Karin said slowly. She looked up at the surprised adults with conviction in her eyes before nodding to Matsumoto. "If Daddy trusted you, then I will, too."

The smile on Ran-chan's face was large enough to crack her face in two. "_Really?_" she squealed happily, and suddenly she was clapping her hands together like a school girl. "This'll be great. I promise, Karin-chan!"

"_Miss,_" the officer interrupted yet again, looking slightly uncomfortable at the sudden change in events. "I have already told you that we cannot allow -"

The police officer's rant was cut off by the clearing of a throat. They all turned to see an ancient looking man in a black suit standing in the doorway, leaning on a cane and holding a stack of papers in his other hand.

"Yamamoto-san," the officer bowed immediately in respect.

"Thank you, Watanabe-san," the man said firmly, "but we can let this young lady go now."

The cop looked at him in surprise, but Karin noticed that Matsumoto seemed satisfied, smirking as if she had known all along that she would get her way.

"B-but the investigation -" the man stammered.

"Can be dealt with without young Miss Kurosaki here," Yamamoto finished for him, nodding in Karin's direction for a moment. "Matsumoto-san is absolutely correct; she is only six, and as she has already answered all of our questions, there is no need for her to be here any longer."

He shuffled over with the help of his cane, and threw the papers in his hand onto the tabletop they were situated in front of. They made a loud _thud_, and Karin was peeved that she wasn't tall enough to see them either.

"I have reviewed all the copies of the files Matsumoto-san has brought over for us," he continued, shuffling through the stack and pulling out different forms. "It seems Kurosaki-san was prepared for the worst case scenario for his children, which is why what she says is true. Kurosaki Isshin himself indeed signed an official document in family court, handing over the custody of his children to one Matsumoto Rangiku, should he no longer be able to fulfill his role as legal guardian."

There was a dead silence as he ruffled through some more paperwork before speaking once again.

"By court of law, a judge has given approval for the transfer of guardianship immediately following any fatality that should befall him – in this case, death. Miss Matsumoto Rangiku is now given the complete responsibility of caring for and meeting his daughter's needs; she has been granted full custody of Miss Kurosaki Karin from this day on."

**.. ****ღ ****..**

Despite the late hour, they took a train out to the city that night.

Matsumoto lived, as she had said, very far, far away. Karin bit her lip as she boarded the train, looking behind her shoulder at her hometown – the town she had never once left. It was so overwhelming, and suddenly, she wasn't sure she wanted to be so far away from the place she had been happy in for so long.

Matsumoto noticed her nervousness as she hesitated on the platform and bent down, cupping both of the little girl's chubby cheeks with her hands.

"Karin-chan," she said, smiling tenderly, "there's no need to be afraid. We're going to your new home. I'm sure you'll be happy there. I have a big house with a big yard, so you can play so many games. And I live close to a playground, and a soccer field. Your daddy always told me how much you love soccer."

Karin nodded in confirmation, going over the description in her head. It _sounded_ nice.

"What color's your house?" she asked, cocking her head to the side in inquiry.

Matsumoto laughed. "Depends on my mood," she said with a wink. "You mother and I shared that trait. When I left, I was sad that my close friend had passed on and angry that the police wouldn't let me see you, so this morning, I bought a whole bunch of red and blue paint and threw it all over the walls. I think it looks cool. We can always change it some time, though, and you can choose the colors you want."

Karin grinned at the story. A colorful house was important to her. Her mother had always loved color, and when she and Isshin had first moved into their house together shortly after their marriage, she'd hated the drab beige paint of the house. The two had set out the very next day and bought cans of paint in a variety of colors. Karin had spent her whole life in color – a bright yellow living room, a pale red bathroom, a pink and purple bedroom with a split between the two colors right down the middle, indicating that one side was Yuzu's and the other side was Karin's.

The memory of the colors in her shared bedroom was one of her favorites. When she had been only two years old, the entire family had gone down to the hardware store to choose the paint for the twins' room. Karin had immediately glomped the can of pale purple paint – it had been almost bigger than her! – and Masaki had been unable to deny her wish, only laughing at her daughter's enthusiasm. But then Yuzu had fallen in love with the fuschia, and Karin had started crying because she hated the color, and Yuzu had started crying because it was her _favorite _color. Masaki had only laughed once again, claiming that she saw no problem with using _both _contrasting colors in one room, and Isshin had only been too happy to dish out more money to keep his family happy.

"Can we use pink and purple?" she asked, looking down almost shyly, fidgeting with her hands.

Matsumoto chuckled. "Whatever floats your boat, sweetheart."

Karin blinked, looking at her in puzzlement. The orange top laughed again; she did that a lot, but Karin liked it. Her mother used to laugh a lot, too.

"It means 'whatever makes you happy.' Of course we can use pink and purple!"

The little girl grinned before hopping onto the train. Her new guardian chuckled as she followed, and the two found an empty compartment. They had next to no luggage. The house had been so thoroughly destroyed that there was no item or keepsake intact enough to be taken along. The only thing they had was the overnight bag Karin had taken with her for her sleepover at a friend's house, the things inside it, and Matsumoto's briefcase, all of which had been tucked under their seats.

It had been a very long day. The tiring events had tuckered out the young child, and so she curled up on her seat next to the window, and immediately fell asleep. Matsumoto watched her tenderly before slipping out of her blazer and draping it over the sleeping form beside her. She then looked out the window sadly.

_'Your little girl is in a world of pain, Isshin, Masaki,' _she thought, wistfully, slowly running her fingers through Karin's hair. _'I just hope leaving her with me was the right choice.'_

**.. ****ღ ****..**

"Mmm, where are we?"

Matsumoto chuckled as Karin slowly lifted her head from her shoulder, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she looked around. The orange top tightened her grip on her, balancing her a little more carefully on her hip as she began to shift around.

"We're in the city," she whispered back, not wanting to startle the young child while she was still so out of it. "The train got here a while ago, and you were sleeping, so I just picked you up. We're just waiting for a taxi to get here."

Karin took a moment to digest this before she started wiggling.

"Put me down?"

Matsumoto complied, grinning as Karin stumbled a bit and then steadied herself as she shook her head to get rid of the drowsiness. The little girl took her time straightening her shirt and shorts as she looked around.

There was much to see. They were still at the train station, though she could see that they were standing on a sidewalk outside the building as they waited for the cab. Across the street was a long row of buildings, each one a different size; some of them looked small and smushed surrounded by large and towering ones. It also very bright despite the darkness of the sky, because there were many bright signs everywhere, obviously marking some of those buildings as stores. The road was rather busy, despite it being very early morning. There were cars honking and zooming by, and even some pedestrians. To Karin's fascination, she even saw one man stumbling around, and from watching television, she knew he was what people called _"drunk." _She had never seen one before.

Finally done with her sight-seeing, she turned her gaze back up to Matsumoto, who was watching her expectantly, as if waiting for approval. But instead, Karin took note of her appearance. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair disheveled. Her blazer was hanging down her back, the arms tied around her neck, as if she had taken it off at some point (she had taken it back from Karin after the girl had started mumbling in her sleep, complaining about being too hot).

But what caught Karin's attention was her load; she had the child's sleepover bag slung over her shoulder with her hand clutching the strap, and her heavy briefcase in the other hand. Karin held out her own hand, but Matsumoto just shot her a confused look.

"Can I have my bag?"

Though she looked like she wanted to argue, the older woman relented immediately, handing the little girl her bag. She watched in wonder as Karin adjusted the strap to her own size – her daddy had taught her how to do that when she had first gotten it – and then slung it over her head and shoulder, the bag hanging off the hip on the opposite side. She clutched the strap with both hands and fiddled with the position until the carrier hung from her a little more comfortably.

"Do you live around here?" she asked once she was done. Matsumoto snapped out of her fascinated daze and cleared her throat.

"Um, no," she replied. "It'll actually take us a little while to get to my house. I live far away from most of the city."

"Why?" Karin asked, narrowing her eyes and watching her shrewdly. Her father had always told her that half the joy of having a house was neighbors to have fun with. Of course, _their_ neighbors had never looked happy about them living next door, what with her father's crazy antics and the constant battle cries of him and her brother as they fought countless times a day.

"Because then I can make as much noise as I want without anyone complaining," Matsumoto replied, shrugging nonchalantly. Karin nodded, letting the subject drop. She knew she would be lonely a lot after she lost her family, so not having any neighbors didn't really change her thoughts.

The cab arrived after a while, and the two hurried into it, clutching their belongings as they settled into their seats. The driver looked at them a little curiously. It probably seemed strange to him that they had almost no luggage when they looked so travel-worn, but he just shrugged it off and asked for the address.

Matsumoto did indeed live very far away. They passed by many sites, though the city looked just as busy and crowded and big everywhere else as it had in front of the train station. Karin let the buildings fly by, feeling her eyes fall slightly despite her attempt to fight it. She had missed a lot of sleep the night before when she had been shaken awake early, the day had been so draining, and now the time was later than she had ever been allowed to stay up until. Needless to say, her head soon lolled against the window.

**.. ****ღ ****..**

Matsumoto clutched her cell phone against her ear nervously, her eyes shifting nervously to Karin's sleeping figure from time to time. It was lucky for her that the child was drowsy enough to be sleeping so soundly, but she still made sure to keep her voice low and her conversation a hurried whisper.

"'Lo?" a thick, sleepy voice asked on the other line.

"Renji?" she questioned. "It's me."

"Hey, Rangiku. 'Sup?" Obviously he was still too drowsy to be talking clearly.

"You idiot!" Her voice raised a little, and the driver looked at her through his mirror curiously. She averted his eyes and hunched over a little, clutching the phone more tightly. "Were you_ sleeping_?" she hissed. "You know that I've been working my ass off, and you have just as much work to -"

"Kami, Rangiku, you're already sounding like a nagging mother," Renji complained, his voice becoming a little more awake and even. "Don't worry. We're just dead tired, but we're all still awake. Almost done, too."

"Good. You just make sure that house is completely cleared when -" Her breath caught in her throat when Karin murmured a bit and hunched tighter into a ball, but she sighed deeply in relief when the child's breathing evened out once again.

"What was that?" And before she could answer, Renji plowed on. "So how'd it go?"

Matsumoto breathed softly, unable to resist flashing a small smile in Karin's direction.

"I got her," she answered him, quietly.

"Hey, hey! Awesome!" There was a lot of crackling over the phone as he apparently shifted around a bit, and then she heard him yell in a slightly muffled voice, "Guys, she got her!"

Multiple muffled sounding cheers were heard on the other end, and Matsumoto couldn't help but grin wider.

"Nice one, Rangiku," a new voice said into the receiver, and she could hear Renji's indignant cry of "Hey!" as the phone was taken away from him.

"Thanks, Hisagi," Matsumoto answered. "It took some work, but we're finally on our way. How's it going on your end?"

"Last room," he reported. "It's taking a while though, because it's that room we use as storage space for all the espionage equipment and extra gadgets. Little Rin's having a fit because he's _positive _we'll wreck one of his precious machines. How long have we got?"

Matsumoto pursed her lips, looked out the window where the scenery had started to change into lonesome houses overshadowed by tall trees, then at the time on her phone.

"About half an hour still, I think," she whispered. "But hurry, anyway."

"We're just shoving the last of the stuff into the basement now," Hisagi assured her. "We'll be done way before you get back."

"Good. And then you all make yourselves scarce, too!"

She heard booming laughter in the background.

"Sure, sure," said a new voice. "Just use us for physical labor and then kick us out. If I didn't like you so much, Rangiku, I'm sure there would be a law suit in there somewhere."

"Quiet, Yumichika," Matsumoto ordered, but there was humor in her voice.

"If you answer us this," yet _another _voice added on. "What's she look like?"

"Like a six-year-old who's too damn young for a bald twenty-three year old," she snapped. A chorus of "oooh's" rang out on the other line, and she had to stifle her laughter so as not to freak out the driver with her strange behavior. Her friends were just too much sometimes. And she could practically _feel _Ikkaku's anger and embarrassment through the phone.

"Okay, first of all, _you wanna go_? 'Cause I can take you on. And secondly, I'm just curious. What's she like?"

She pondered this for a moment, eyeing Karin's small face tenderly. Her lips had parted as she breathed, and her little shoulders were rising and falling along with the pattern. Little strands of her hair had fallen over her forehead, some blending with the long lashes framing her large doe-like eyes, which were now closed.

"The spitting image of Isshin but as pretty as Masaki," she finally decided.

"No way!"

"Is that even _possible?_"

"Isshin's face was bad enough. How the _hell _can it ever be considered pretty?"

"You'll see for yourselves," she snapped. "Look, I can't talk like this. She's sleeping, and you guys have work to do. See you when I see you."

She snapped the phone shut to cut off their grumbling.

**.. ****ღ ****..**

A strange feeling of motion woke Karin for just a brief moment. She realized she was in Matsumoto's hold again, and that the two were no longer in the cab.

"Ran-chan, where're we?" she mumbled, unable to find the strength to lift her head from the woman's shoulder. She just tightened her arms around her neck, locking her hands from behind.

"Your new home, sweetheart," Matsumoto replied with a chuckle, but Karin was already asleep again, her closed eyelids fluttering from her dreams.

* * *

><p>Sadly, I am <em>not <em>a super cool criminal mastermind, so I don't really know how one goes about becoming one :P But I assume you'd need connections, like Matsumoto and her gang. If any of you out there _are _genius thieves, however, I'd more than welcome tips to make my story realistic :D

As promised, since I didn't have another chapter of my other stories put up, I updated this one. But, the next chapter of _Armistice _is almost completed and should be up this following week, so I probably won't update this again for a while. Sorry, everyone! But I hope you at least enjoyed this one.


	4. II

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.**

* * *

><p>A nightmare woke Karin later that morning.<p>

It was the faces of her family, all of them smiling over to her happily, even her mother. They were having a wonderful family dinner, one she remembered from a long time back in her memories. And as she smiled back at them, letting her guard down as she dug into Masaki's cooking, a horrendous explosion interrupted them.

Suddenly, all she could see before her eyes was the ruined rubble that was her family home, looking exactly like the last time she had seen it. Her family was nowhere to be found. Loud sounds added to the panic. She heard the ambulance sirens, just like that night, and police sirens. But the only sound she could focus on was wailing, an all too familiar cry that belonged to Yuzu, and one that she had heard many times throughout her childhood. It drowned out everything; even the blaring sirens, which she had thought seemed so deafening when she had first heard them on the site. She wanted so desperately to cover her ears, to stop the heartbreaking sound, but she couldn't.

Her frame gave a shudder, a shaking that overtook her completely. After a moment, she completely stilled, even her limbs, and then, she sucked in a huge gasp of air. Her eyes snapped open.

The first thing that hit her was the light. It was bright, blinding. She immediately threw her arms over her eyes, trying to block out the glare and save her sight. She saw spots in the blackness and simply lay there for a moment, letting them slowly disappear before carefully cracking open her eyes once again.

She was in an unfamiliar room. It wasn't simply a case of early morning confusion or shock; she had truly never seen this room before, and try as she might, she could not remember how she had gotten here. All she remembered was that Matsumoto had carried her from their cab, and when she had asked where they were, the older woman had replied that they were at her new home. But she had been too exhausted to bother looking, simply drifting off to sleep again.

Now, she wished she had looked. That would certainly solve her confusion, because surely Matsumoto could not live in such a grand house. Just the room she was in was so big that she was sure standing on the bed and stretching on her toes could not enable her to come anywhere close to touching the ceiling – or even just brushing her fingertips against it. There were very large windows on one side, and the curtains were open, explaining why the light had hit her face. The walls were so far away from each other because the room was so big. And then Karin noticed something peculiar.

All the walls had been splashed viciously with red and blue paint.

A memory from the previous night came back to her. _'When I left, I was sad that my close friend had passed on and angry that the police wouldn't let me see you, so this morning, I bought a whole bunch of red and blue paint and threw it all over the walls.'_

This was Matsumoto's room. The sudden realization suddenly put her at ease, for some reason. Maybe because the surrounding color was bringing back warm memories of her mother, or maybe because it was _Matsumoto _who brought back the warm memories. Either way, she admired the walls without any of the previous alarm.

_'I think it looks cool.'_

It _did _look cool, she agreed with the busty woman. The colors made a mix of brilliant purple that she admired; she had always loved purple.

"Oh, you're awake."

She saw Matsumoto leaning against the doorway, eyeing her carefully. She had changed out of her formal attire, instead wearing sweatpants and a tank top that hardly covered up her chest.

"This is where you live?"

The busty woman nodded, sauntering over to the bed and sitting on the side. She placed one hand on the covers and leaned over to her.

"Yes. I know it's different from what you're used to..."

"It's _so __big._"

Matsumoto smiled at the look of wonder on her face as she looked around. Having lived in a small house and sharing it with the patients in the clinic attached meant she had never been somewhere so spacious. Even her school didn't seem to be, because there were always so many students crammed into the hallways and classrooms.

"Well, it's not exactly just a house_._" Karin looked at her curiously, so she explained, "It used to be a sort of boarding house. It went up for sale a few years back, so I bought it, and I live here with a few...friends. Though I _did _take the biggest room." She smirked at her victory.

"There are more people here?" Karin questioned suspiciously. That hadn't been mentioned the previous day.

Matsumoto bobbed her head happily. "Oh, yeah. You would have met them yesterday, but it didn't seem like a good idea after everything that happened, so I told them to make themselves scarce before we got here. But, don't worry, because they're all really nice people, and they've wanted to meet you."

"They know me?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"They know about your parents. A few of them actually went to my college and knew your parents for as long as I did, and everyone else has listened to us talk about them for years. They've been just as anxious as me to get you here, and they're excited to finally see you today."

"Oh."

Karin shifted a little uneasily on the bed, playing with a small bundle of the blanket with her hands. She had never been good with meeting new people, and so the idea made her a little nervous, though she could hardly voice her apprehension.

"Hey, come on," Rangiku said. She stood up and waved her hand, signaling her to get up as well. "It's time for breakfast."

A quick trip to the bathroom, and then Karin was nervously making her way down the steps, fidgeting with her hands as she took in the surroundings. The house she had previously thought was grand wasn't actually all that extravagant – just big. The walls held paintings and pictures, and there was beaten up furniture in the rooms, giving a warm feeling. She relaxed a little as she took in the soft feel of the atmosphere, but her shoulders tensed again, despite the good smell, as they neared the kitchen and she heard noises.

"They're in here," Matsumoto said while standing in the doorway, gesturing towards her. All the noises completely stopped, which caused her stomach to flip. They were all waiting to meet her, and they would no doubt be staring.

'_Come __on, __Karin. __You__'__re __a __Kurosaki.__' _Hitching up her shoulders more squarely, she marched into the kitchen.

Well, she hadn't expected there to be _so __many _men. She hadn't thought Matsumoto was..._that _kind of woman. Everywhere she looked, a male face was staring down at her; some were kind, some looked interested, some just stared. She just stared right back.

"So, this is her, huh?" a red-haired man finally broke the silence. His face broke out into a grin as Rangiku nodded enthusiastically. "Nice ta meet ya," he directed kindly towards Karin. "Name's Renji."

"Izuru Kira," a blonde one piped up, giving her a little wave. She waved back.

A bald man with a scary looking face suddenly marched up to her, crouched down, and stuck his face into hers. He had a wooden sword resting on his shoulder, and she eyed it before finally meeting his gaze.

"She's a little skinny, don't ya think?" he complained. "I was hopin' she would have a little more meat on her, being Isshin's daughter an' all."

"Well, I was hoping _not _to be blinded by your bald head, but I guess we don't all get what we want, huh?" she spat out angrily, very insulted. After a beat of silence, the kitchen erupted into booming laughter while the baldy spluttered, red-faced.

"You're all right, I guess," he finally grunted. "Call me Ikkaku."

"Yumichika!" a feathered face man offered, popping up behind Ikkaku's shoulder. He waved her over, and she followed him to the table. "Breakfast's almost ready, so sit here." He patted to an empty chair, and she settled in. Humming, he glided over to the stove.

Karin turned her attention to the other occupants of the table. She had met two already, but there were also two more. A little kid with black hair, slouched over and looking nervous as he avoided her gaze, and a brown-haired little boy with a ponytail on the front of his head, who was transfixed with a strange little device in his hand. Since he was so busy, she turned her attention to the nervous one.

"Hi," she called out to him, and couldn't help but wonder why there were kids here. He jumped and looked at her. She held out her hand. "I'm Karin."

"Y-Yamada Hanatarou," he supplied, taking her hand with his own trembling one. "N-Nice to meet you." She nodded in return before turning her attention to the other boy, and Hanatarou followed her gaze.

"Th-this is Rin," he introduced, and then nudged the boy with his elbow. "Stop being rude and say hi, Rin!" he ordered.

Rin finally looked up from his machine and stared at her. She awkwardly waved, and he waved back, and that was it.

"Great!" Matsumoto chirped, skipping over to her. "Now you've met everyone in the room. I think Sentarou and the girls are still sleeping" – Karin sighed in relief in knowing there were other women here – "and I don't know where Hisagi..."

She was cut off as a young man with black hair strode in, soaping wet with only a dainty towel around his waist. He was looking down at a shampoo bottle in his hand.

"Hey, Kira," he was saying, still clueless to the blushing little girl gaping at him. "We're out of shampoo. Do we have any more...?"

Finally, he looked up and came face-to-face with Karin, who was twisted around in her chair, staring up at him. He blinked. She blinked. And then, his face turned beet red, and he jumped backwards.

"Ack! Rangiku, why didn't you _tell_ me she was up!" he hollered, bolting out of the room, clutching the towel for dear life. They heard his footsteps die down, and then a door slammed shut.

All eyes swerved to look at Karin, hoping she wasn't completely traumatized. She had absolutely no idea what happened. All she'd had time to notice was the scars lining his face and that numbered tattoo on his cheek that would have made any middle schooler in her home town snicker, though she had no idea why. Maybe she could ask him...

After a few awkward beats, she put a hand to her mouth and tried to stifle her giggles. They all joined in, and soon, the kitchen was booming with rambunctious laughter at Hisagi's expense.

"What's all this noise?" a sleepy voice piped up, and they all turned to see a tiny woman with brown hair walk in, wearing pajamas and rubbing her eyes. "Why..."

For the second time, Karin found herself staring at an unknown person who was gazing back at her. Suddenly, the girl's face broke into a grin.

"You must be Karin!" she squealed, and raced up to hug her. "I'm Kiyone! Oh, it's so great to meet you. I have to go tell Isane and Sentarou." She raced out.

"Isane and Kiyone are sisters," Rangiku told her. "And Kiyone and Sentarou are...Well, we're not really _sure_ what they are." She scratched her chin in thought as the men chuckled.

"Here, kid," Yumichika chirped, placing an omelet in front of her. The others grunted their approval as they also dug in, and Karin turned to her own food. It smelled divine – a lot better than the charcoal covered food her father had attempted to make and feed her over the years. He just hadn't had a knack for cooking. Yuzu had always been fascinated, but he had insisted she was too young to be allowed near a stove or oven just yet.

"It's good," she told the beaming Yumichika after taking a bite, reaching for a piece of toast.

"After breakfast," Rangiku said to her, "Renji will show you to the back. We have a really large field for you to play in, and an old playground, too. In fact, take Hanatarou and Rin with you. They never get enough exercise, anyway."

The two boys flushed and focused on their food, embarrassed. But a blushing Hisagi stumbled in awkwardly, then, and right behind him were Kiyone and three other people she had never met before. She found herself being introduced to the timid Isane, the strangely silent Nemu, and the outspoken Sentarou. As they all settled in, the atmosphere around the table was light. They chatted across the table, joked with one another, and basically gave off the feel of a family.

Karin grinned as she eyed them all. She was definitely going to like it here. She was sure of it.

**.. ღ ..**

It took a lot longer than she liked for Karin to realize there was something..._strange _about her new house mates, but once she did, everything became glaringly noticeable. Many of them didn't have solid jobs; they stayed at the house most of the day, taking simple, part-time work from time to time, and yet seemed so busy with _something _all the time, with things like files and important papers. Some of them would disappear for hours on end, and when they came back, she heard hurried and whispered conversations in dark hallways that always died down when she came near.

She tried talking to Hanatarou and Rin about it. Being the closest to their age, she had made friends with both, and spent most of her time playing with them.

"Why does everyone in the house act so weird sometimes?" she asked them one time as they were playing catch in the yard. "They're always whispering and they almost never leave the house."

"D-don't y-you think y-you're imagining it?" Hanatarou stuttered, purposely avoiding her gaze. He had never been good under pressure, and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.

"You're over thinking things," Rin added. "Grown-ups are just weird."

She wasn't stupid, though. She could tell that her two friends were hiding something from her, too. They were most likely in on whatever the adults were always up to and were keeping the secret safe. It made her a little angry that she couldn't be trusted. After all, they always insisted she was like family, and yet they wouldn't let her in on the big family secret. She was sure she could handle it.

It turned out she couldn't. Not at first, at least.

The day started out like any other. She sleepily stumbled into the kitchen for breakfast, yawning and rubbing her tummy under her pajama top. Renji chuckled as she struggled to get on her chair without sliding off, losing to her drowsiness.

"Pancakes for the almost birthday girl," Yumichika sang as he placed a plate in front of her. She grinned up at him, reaching for some syrup. Hanatarou handed it to her as he rushed after Yumichika; he had long since taken up the job of helping the man in the kitchen.

"Yum," she hummed in appreciation as she tasted the delicious-ness.

"So, the big one-oh," Hisagi said to her, resting his head on his palm and smirking over to her. "How does it feel?" She shrugged, unable to speak with her cheeks puffing out from the amount of pancakes she had stuffed into her mouth. He laughed.

"Careful," Isane said, eyeing her with worry, afraid she would choke. She forcibly swallowed everything, thumping her chest and gulping down chocolate milk to help her.

"I feel the same as I felt yesterday," she told Hisagi. "I'm not ten yet."

"True, but –"

He was cut off at the sound of the television. A strange _woosh_ sound called their attention to the screen, and they watched the local news station's logo appear, and then disappear, from the screen. It was a new story, and a reporter was speaking seriously into the camera.

"...disappeared just last night," she was saying. "The police pursued the suspect through the city streets, but they soon vanished along with the artifact, leaving no traces as clues. The police found no fingerprints at the crime scene. Officers describe him as a lean male with black hair, but with no other clues, the list of possible criminals remains too large."

A picture of a pretty, silver pendant with a deep blue stone embedded in the middle suddenly flashed on the screen.

"The only item stolen was an ancient pendant on display at the museum for only two weeks. All other artifacts remained untouched, but the pendant itself is a very valuable piece, having belonged to Empress Suiko herself in the Asuka period. The museum owner, Takahashi-san, remains distraught over its disappearance, claiming it to be one of his most famous exhibits, but can offer no clues about who might have wanted to steal it."

"I wonder who could have stolen it?" Karin wondered, off-handedly. With her keen eyes, she noticed the way everyone in the room froze for just a moment before relaxing a little too much.

"There are all kinds of robberies every day, sweetheart," Rangiku told her. "It could be anyone. If anybody can figure it out, I'm sure the police can."

Ikkaku snorted into his mug, and everyone sent him a heated glare. Karin didn't miss it, though she remained confused as to the reason, so she just shrugged and returned to her pancakes for the time being.

After breakfast it was time for her to do her chores. Many of them had always insisted that they would take care of everything and that she only needed to enjoy being a kid, but she didn't like being spoiled or too lazy. So, they relented, giving her little things to do around the house. Hisagi and Ikkaku admired her for that, which made her feel pretty good.

On this particular day, after she had cleaned her own room, she decided to help Rangiku by cleaning hers. In the few times she had been in there after her first night, she had only ever seen a chaotic tornado of clothes, jewelry, cosmetics, and other little trinkets. If she could avoid it, she never did go in there. But today, she decided that she wanted to help the kind orange top by straightening up.

She snuck in quietly, knowing that Rangiku herself was in the living room with the others. When she opened the door, it was just as messy as she remembered, though the walls were now a sky blue, and she had to take a deep breath of assurance before she grabbed at a few things on the floor by the door. It was a pile of dirty clothes, and she threw them into the hall to be taken to the laundry room later.

Keeping a rapid routine, she started clearing out the junk in the room until the floor could at least be seen. Dirty clothes in the hall, cosmetics in the drawers along with the jewelry, clean clothes on the bed to be folded and put into the closet later. Once the organizing task was done, she finally moved to the closet. When she opened it, a _humongous _pile of clothing fell out, burying her head in an avalanche.

"Lazy Ran-chan," she grumbled under her breath, ripping a shirt off her head. Pulling herself out, she crawled inside, trying to make sense of all the clothes.

It was when she made it to the very back that she caught sight of a peculiar black box nestled into the far corner. Thinking it another piece of discarded jewelry, she grabbed it and headed for the drawers, intending to put it in its proper place. On the way, she pulled off the lid, a little curious about what might be inside.

She found herself looking at a sparkling pendant, its silver color gleaming from the brightness of the room. Attached to the middle was a deep blue stone, adding to the simple beauty of the piece. Her breath hitched fearfully.

Matsumoto's voice drifted down the hall suddenly. "Here, let me just get..."

The door swung open, and Matsumoto froze with her hand on the doorknob, her voice trailing off as she stared at the scene. Karin whipped around to face her, the box tightly clenched in her fingers.

"Ran-chan," she whispered, her eyes wide, "why was the stolen pendant from the news in your closet?"

Rangiku seemed to have nothing to say. Her face was frozen.

"Rangiku, what's taking so long?"

Renji and Hisagi popped up behind her, looking agitated. When they caught sight of Karin, however, holding the pendant and looking up at them with a slackened jaw, they froze as well.

"Karin-chan," Hisagi said slowly, "it's not what it looks like."

Karin's little brows furrowed. What did it look like?

"...Y-you're _criminals!_" Karin gasped out. Her hand flew to her mouth in shock, and she took a few steps back. "Oh, Kami! Th-that's it, isn't it? The big secret you're always hiding? You _stole _this" – she pointed to Hisagi, whose face twitched – "and _you're _man from the news the police are chasing after."

Hisagi did not deny the accusation, and no one else made any moves to, either. They only just stared at one another, not knowing what to say during the delicate situation. After an excruciatingly frightening moment, Renji surprisingly snapped out of it first.

"Come with us, Karin," he said solemnly. His face was set in a deep frown. "We'll talk in the living room."

He stalked out, and Hisagi followed. Suspicious and distrustful, Karin decided to do the same, if only to get the right answers. As she passed by the doorway, Rangiku unfroze and slowly held out her hand, asking for the pendant. Karin only glared at her and clutched the box tighter to herself.

**.. ღ ..**

It intimidated Karin a little that _everyone _had gathered in the living room with her, and they all watched her with the same, somber gaze, their faces hollow. She just forced herself to square her shoulders and look unaffected. It was a rather difficult feat for an almost-ten year old surrounded by adults twice her size, but she had lots of practice under her belt. After a long bout of silence, she grew irritated.

"_Someone _answer me," she snapped. She held up the pendant. "Explain this."

"Karin-chan," Matsumoto began, looking at her pleadingly, "you don't _really _think we're bad people, do you?"

She glared. "Why else was this in your closet?" She toyed with the pendant in her hand, running her thumb over the smooth stone. "This was on the news. The police said bad people stole it. Doesn't that make you a bad person?"

Matsumoto sucked in a deep breath and looked away, seeming pained by her words. Karin almost felt guilty, but the small trinket in her hand kept her grounded.

"The police never know the whole story," Ikkaku grunted from where he was leaning against the door frame. "Bunch of good-for-nothing dumbasses, if you ask me."

"Yes, _thank __you,_" Hisagi interjected, looking disgruntled, "but no one _did _ask you." He turned to Karin. "But what he said is true, Karin. The police don't always know everything about what they're protecting. They think we're bad people, but we're not."

Karin snorted, but he just continued.

"You might not believe us, but that pendant you're holding does not belong to the museum it was stolen from." He gestured to it, and she stared at it closely without blinking. "The owner of the museum stole it weeks ago from the man it _actually _belongs to. We're just getting it back for him."

"I don't believe you," she retorted simply. They could be easily lying to her. She wasn't _stupid._

Hanatarou spoke up bashfully. "I-It's true, Karin-san. The man was really, _really _upset, and we just wanted to help." She shot him a nasty glare, and he jumped behind Renji in alarm.

"We get that you're upset and confused, kiddo," the red-haired man added, detaching Hanatarou from his leg but patting his head in reassurance, "but if you don't let us explain without making judgments, we can't straighten this out."

"Fine," she hissed, crossing her arms defiantly. "Explain, then."

Renji sighed. "All right. It all started a few weeks back. Kira and I were passing through another museum on the opposite side of the city – that was where our part-time work for the week was. On the way back here, we ran into the old man who owns it."

"He was frail and sickly," Kira added. "Naturally, we offered to help him close up, as all his employees had left for the day and he seemed to be suffering very much from the task. He accepted gratefully and led us inside."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Karin snapped impatiently. She hadn't wanted some long story, just a short and sweet explanation.

Kira grimaced. "We're getting there," he promised, and then sighed before continuing. "While inside, Renji noticed that one of his exhibits was empty, though there was a glass case and a sign for it. So we asked him about it."

"He told us," Renji took over, looking a little angered as he recalled this part, "that some good-for-nothing mongrel had visited his museum only days before. He'd seen the piece – a silver pendant – and expressed an interest in it, but the old man had refused to sell it. It was very valuable and one of his favorite pieces, and he couldn't risk anything happening to it. He wanted it to stay in his museum."

"Apparently, the visitor turned very nasty," Kiyone commented, looking very disgusted. "He threatened the old man, _demanded _that he be given the piece, but the old man still said no, so the guy stomped out. Can you imagine someone being such a bastard to a nice old man?"

"That same night," Isane said sadly, looking sympathetic, "the pendant went missing. The only suspect was that same young man, and it helped when news popped up around town about how his grand museum had just acquired a beautiful pendant, and put it on display."

"The old man was kind," Hisagi picked up where she had left off, patting Isane's hand gently when she stopped, looking upset. "He went to visit Takahashi, who had stolen it, and even offered to keep the robbery a secret if he could just have the pendant back. The guy said no." He scowled bitterly.

Karin listened with wide eyes. She was so absorbed in the story. That poor old man...

"Why didn't he just go to the police?" she asked in a hush.

"Tried," Ikkaku grunted. "The guy already had them on his side. Showed them fake paperwork proving the pendant was "legally" his museum's property, and then convinced them someone was trying to steal it."

"Oh." Karin ducked her head sadly at the thought that someone could be so cruel to someone so vulnerable.

"Naturally, we offered our services," Yumichika said airily. "He was hesitant, but we insisted, even waiving the fee for him. The asshole just pissed us off."

"Fee?" she asked carefully.

"This is what we do, Karin-chan," Rangiku explained delicately. "We offer our services and _correct _crimes."

"It was my turn to do the job," Hisagi went on. "I sneaked out of the house at night later that week, and I slipped past the security systems. Grabbing the thing was the easy part, but on my way out, I tripped over one of the motion sensors, and the alarms went off. Police officers showed up on the scene, but I got away pretty easily."

"And we called the man who owns it, who promised that once we delivered it later today, he would lock it away somewhere safe and out of sight," Renji concluded, grinning. "He was really grateful."

"And that's where you came in," Rangiku chimed in. "We were planning to return it just now, but you found it first. But if you _still _don't believe us, you can come with us to return it, if you want."

Karin agreed enthusiastically.

**.. ღ ..**

When Karin left the museum that same afternoon, she had a wide grin on her face. She hadn't known what to expect when she'd first gone with Matsumoto, Hisagi, and Renji to return the pendant, but it had been the most _wonderful _experience.

When they'd first presented the piece to the older gentleman it belonged to, he'd burst into tears of happiness.

"Oh, thank you!" he'd sobbed, burying his face into his arms in embarrassment as he wiped away the tears. All of them had had wide smiles on their faces as he'd shakily reached out for the necklace. Grinning, Rangiku had placed it in Karin's hand and nudged her forward, and the girl, shyly and slowly, had handed it out to him. When he'd finally taken it from her, he'd grasped her hand as well.

"Thank you, sweetheart," he'd whispered, his entire frame shaking.

"Y-You're welcome," she'd mumbled, blushing at the attention and scuffing the ground with her toe as she looked down. She had heard Renji sniggering a little from behind her, and then Matsumoto shushing him furiously.

"You don't know how much this means to me," the old man had gone on, carefully closing the box with the artifact and holding it close, like something precious. "I'll keep it safe and close to me for the rest of my life."

"What a nice old man," she said now as Hisagi drove them all back to the house. They were already nearing it, passing through thick trees and surrounded by silence.

"We thought so, too," Renji said, smirking. "That's why we helped him."

They finally pulled up outside of the house, and Karin skipped up the steps and through the front doors. The entire family was waiting in the living room, looking anxious as they awaited their return. When she bounced in with the three adults behind her, they all looked up and sighed in relief.

"How did it go?" Isane asked quietly.

"From their joyous reactions, one can assume that the visit succeeded in placating Kurosaki-san," Nemu observed stoically.

"She's right," Hisagi replied with a grin, settling down on the couch.

"He was so happy he started _crying!_" Karin reported excitedly. Hanatarou was hanging on to every word; he'd never had a chance to tag along to return a recovered item before.

"So, are you still mad at us?" Rangiku asked, though she was biting her lip to keep from smiling because the answer was obvious. No one else could keep the grins off their faces either (except Nemu, who hadn't been smiling in the first place).

"No!" Karin exclaimed, grinning. "Not if you make people act like..._that – _all grateful and happy and stuff, I mean."

The orange top chuckled. "That makes us feel good too," she told her, and Isane and Kiyone nodded along in agreement. "That's one of the reasons we do this. It's so wonderful to see their faces light up when they get back something so important to them. Not to mention, we prevent all of these horrible crimes that would otherwise get ignored."

"So...you really do help people," she realized.

Matsumoto nodded eagerly. "Yes. We don't like it when people take from others what is not theirs. We just like to help."

"Is that why you all stay out here, so far away from everyone?" she wondered. "I thought it was weird."

"That's right," Kiyone chirped. "No one bothers us out here, and we can do all our planning and training without making anyone suspicious."

Karin inclined her head. "Training?"

"You don't think just anyone can waltz into a high security museum and take its most valuable exhibit, do you?" Renji teased, snickering. "Me, Hisagi, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Matsumoto, Kiyone, Sentarou, and sometimes Kira – we're the "mission team." We train ourselves before we're allowed to go on missions, physically _and _mentally. There's a lot more to us than just _taking_ things, you know."

She gazed at them in awe. Now that she was starting to get such a better understanding of their situation, they all seemed so very impressive huddled in this room together, looking strong and intelligent.

"And the rest of you?" she asked eagerly, brightening up. "What do you all do?"

Isane giggled. "Well, I handle all the medical issues," she supplied. "Hanatarou's learning under me for the time being, and then he'll become my partner." Said boy blushed at the awestruck look Karin sent him briefly. Who would have thought shy little Hanatarou could ever be part of an espionage group?

"I handle technology," Nemu answered stoically. Karin jumped, having forgotten that she was even in the room. "Tsubokura-kun has been my partner for years now." Karin remembered all the strange gizmos he always had in his hands, and it all made sense now.

"Kira's our informant," Hisagi added, thumping his friend on the back. "He handles all the background we might need on our customers, the item, and whoever we're taking from. Me and Renji help too, and sometimes he joins us on missions."

"We have some important associates too, that help us with all this from behind the scenes," Matsumoto added thoughtfully. With a playful smile, she winked. "Remember Yamamoto-san?"

Karin's heart leaped as she indeed remembered the ancient man who had given her to Matsumoto in the first place. Suddenly, that knowing and victorious smirk that had been on Matsumoto's face when he'd entered made sense; she had obviously known she would win with him on her side.

"Even though he's part of the police?" she said. Rangiku chuckled and nodded.

"It helps, having someone on the other side. He's all for helping the victims. But not many in that field are willing to see reason like he is, so we have to keep ourselves a secret."

That's why the officers had been chasing Hisagi on the news, she realized. They hadn't known he was only helping others for the greater good, so he'd had no choice but to run from them, which _of __course _made him seem like the bad guy. Though this could all have been avoided if he'd just kept himself from getting seen in the first place. If she had been in his spot, she would have done a _much _better job of that. Well, it seemed like it was up to her to teach him this.

"So, you're the good guys," she summarized one last time for clarification. Everyone (but Nemu) nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "And what you do is actually to help others."

"So you believe us now?" Matsumoto asked in relief.

Karin nodded happily, a twinkle in her eyes. She looked around at the occupants of the room expectantly. "So...what can _I _do to help?"

* * *

><p><strong>Edit:<strong> Phew! Thank you, waka - my _wonderful_ anonymous reviewer - for pointing out my mistake about the pendant. Karin found it right _before _they were planning to send it off to the owner, and I've fixed that now! Also, I changed a small portion of the chapter. I agree with the few of you who said Karin had believed them a little too fast (I put this up rather quickly, that's why), so I added a bit to make it more realistic. I hope it's better now!

Ha ha! Oh, Karin :)

Okay, who _wouldn't _give one of their arms to live in a house full of Bleach characters? That's the dream...Karin, you lucky duck! Though I'm sure a lot of you would also want the Espada there ^^' I thought about adding them, but somehow...they just didn't seem right for the story. I couldn't imagine them staying peacefully in a secluded home with other characters, being cooperative in their operations. You know what I mean?


	5. III

So, I edited the last chapter. I added a small scene so that Karin didn't believe them _as _easily. I hope it makes it more realistic!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. Nor do I own The Lion King or Simba (I just couldn't resist!).**

* * *

><p>Ikkaku side-stepped to the left, narrowly avoiding getting his face pounded in by Karin's foot.<p>

"You missed," he taunted, grinning devilishly as she growled and leaped again. With her knuckles clenched, she swung her fists at him, breathing deeply with each swift action. He dodged one after another, laughing boorishly each time.

Matsumoto and Isane observed silently from the sidelines of the extra large room they used for their training, keeping a close eye on Karin especially. She seemed to be holding out all right; aside from small tears in her clothing and even smaller scratches on her exposed skin, she was holding up _extremely _well for someone facing Ikkaku.

Finally, Matsumoto sighed.

"I don't like it," she admitted, closing her eyes as Ikkaku finally switched to offense and kicked Karin forcefully in the gut. The poor girl completely lost her breath, bending over from the pain, but seconds later, she had to blindly swerve back as her sparring partner attacked again.

"No one really does," Isane replied softly, "but this was her choice, and she seems to be doing all right so far."

"But she's only _thirteen. _If she gets hurt..." Matsumoto trailed off, nervously wringing her hands.

"That's why she's training, right?" the kind medic tried to reassure her. "You know none of us would let her go without making sure no harm would come to her. And she was pretty skilled to begin with. Isshin-san raised her well."

Meanwhile, Renji slowly wandered in, watching the fight closely as he joined the two women. It seemed Karin had finally managed to land a punch on Ikkaku's cheek, and both were panting heavily as they stared each other down from opposite ends of the room.

"Those two still going at it?" he said with a chuckle.

The orange top twitched and Isane could only chuckle nervously. Renji raised his eyebrows, but rather than pursue their strange reactions, he only looked out towards the fighters. They were going at it again, though this time, Karin was the one dodging repeatedly as Ikkaku tried to land a punch on her.

"She's holding up pretty good," he commented, nodding approvingly. "She was a lot worse when _I _fought her last week. Good to see she's improving so quickly. Hisagi's already looking up any jobs we might have that she may be able to handle."

Rangiku gaped at him. "_Already?_" she squeaked, her eyes wide. Then, she clapped a hand over her eyes and groaned heavily. "I feel a headache coming on. _Where's my sake?_" And she stumbled out of the room.

"She's still against it, huh?" Renji questioned. Isane nodded sadly, and Renji smirked as he watched Karin flip through the air and kick Ikkaku viciously at the back of his head. He went flying, and the girl smirked proudly as she wiped at her sweating face with her shirt. "Well, she's fighting a lost battle," the red head added. "Karin looks like she's in this 'til the end, with all the training she's been doing."

"I think so, too," Isane agreed and then sighed. "It's just too bad that Rangiku-san refuses to see it."

Renji put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "She'll come around," he said softly. "Karin can take care of herself; she'll see that soon enough."

"I hope so. You know how much it would hurt Karin-san to know that Rangiku-san doesn't approve of her decision."

"She will." Renji nodded in a final manner. "She just needs to see Karin in action. But she's got nothing to worry about _yet. _Though Hisagi's looking, he hasn't found anything yet, and it's looking like he might not for a while."

Out in the battle, Karin punched Ikkaku in the gut, causing him to bend over and stumble back.

"Payback," she said smugly, holding up her fist.

Ikkaku grinned widely. "Atta girl," he said proudly, walking over to ruffle her hair. "Maybe you're not a lost cause after all."

Karin beamed. "Just you wait!" she cried, looking determined. "One day, I'm gonna beat your ass so hard you'll be _begging _me for mercy."

The chrome dome laughed, slapping her on the back. "I'll be waiting for that," he said with a smirk.

The two wandered off to the end of the room for a water break – their first in three hours.

**.. ღ ..**

It took many years for Karin to finally be given her first job. Yes, she'd tagged along with Hisagi and Renji and everyone else on missions every once in a while, doing menial work like keeping lookout or slipping through smaller passageways to unlock doors, but this was her first time _flying solo._ She was excited beyond _belief._

She'd just started high school, meaning she'd been stuck into a classroom with children who'd grown up together since birth. She was the odd one out, but she didn't mind. Her life had more important matters to worry about than how popular she was with her peers. She _did _like the principal, though. He was a sweet man, especially young because he'd taken over for his father, but amazingly kind. He'd taken it upon himself to show her around on the first day and even warmly welcomed her to come to his office whenever she had questions. Which she had done.

However, that particular relationship proved a hitch in her recovering plans.

Matsumoto looked at her sadly when she presented her with the folder for her new job. "Yoshida Hachirou," she murmured. "I'm sorry, Karin-chan, but he's a criminal."

"...Yoshida..." Karin whispered. Though her eyes had lit up remarkably when she'd been given the folder, her face fell drastically now. "But, Yoshida is..."

"Your principal, I know," Rangiku said, looking upset. "This man is his father, and he's your first job."

"...What did he do?" Karin wanted to know, letting her eyes harden. Just because it was her beloved principal's father didn't mean his criminal acts were justified.

"Forged papers," Hisagi explained. "More specifically, the deed to a nearby private area. He's trying to illegally take over someone else's property. It's land he's been eyeing for a while, but someone beat him to it and wouldn't sell, so he's...Well, you get the idea. He's highly respected, so no one's going to believe anyone over him."

Karin pursed her lips as she nodded. "And I do this by myself, right?" she asked carefully, not letting any emotion show through.

Matsumoto nodded. "That's right," she replied. "He lives close by, actually – near the school. It's a huge place, bigger than even here."

"Then why does he need more land?" Isane asked. She hadn't had a chance to go over the file.

"Hunting, or so he told the landowners," Kira answered. "I came across them while driving Sentarou to work, and they immediately asked to hire us. They're an older couple who like their privacy, so they spent most of their savings to buy the area."

Karin's eyes blazed with fury at the idea. Her chair scraped against the floor as she stood up. "I'll do it," she declared, nodding over to Matsumoto."I just need to get the papers, right?"

"Right. _We'll_ destroy them."

"Okay. This weekend, then."

She hadn't been able to look at her principal after that, so she'd just avoided his office as she'd secretly prepared to infiltrate his father's home later that week. As she'd come to learn over the years, most of the success of their recoveries wasn't just because of the mission team and their skill, but also because of Nemu and Rin.

On the day of her first mission, she was sent to Nemu's laboratory, where she was finally presented with her very own gadgets, designed especially by the two. She was given a small communication device, which she stuck in her ear, and an accompanying microphone, which she clipped to her collar; as this was her first solo mission, the others weren't _completely _comfortable with sending her out there alone, and so they wanted to be able to reach her, just in case. Next, she received a rubber cover for her shoes, which she attached to the bottom of her footwear; it would prevent her from leaving any trace of a footprint, whether from mud or dirt or whatever might be down there.

But the coolest thing by far, in her opinion, was a special gel that the two had worked together to make.

"Can you hold out your arm?" Rin asked, and she did as she was told. He pulled out a small tube and, squirting a generous amount into his hand, he slapped it onto her skin and rubbed it in thoroughly until the color faded. Next, she took it from him and rubbed the cream onto every part of any exposed skin, making sure to be thorough.

"What does that do?" she'd asked in wonder the first time he had done it.

"It's a special solution we created not long ago," he'd told her. "It eliminates all fingerprints. No matter what you touch now, it will be as if you never touched it. This is how we keep the police from finding any concrete evidence at the scene."

"_Cool!_"

Now, she carefully applied it and then screwed it shut. Next, she tied her hair into a secure ponytail to keep any strands from hanging loose or – even worse – falling out.

She was ready.

**.. ღ ..**

Hisagi drove her to her destination. They passed by her school, and she had to look away so it would not break her resolve. When they parked outside the gigantic mansion, she had trouble imagining her kind principal growing up there. She shook her head to get rid of her whimsical thoughts, replacing it with steely determination.

"You ready?" Hisagi asked with a nervous smirk.

She breathed out deeply. "I've been waiting for this for five years," she murmured. "Of course I'm ready." And she slipped out of the car. He drove away once she had slammed the door shut to avoid gaining attention, and she was left to face the large home herself.

There was a password protected gate rather than a guard. Renji had already assured her several times that he had come earlier to disable the one security camera outside, so she kept herself calm as she faced her only opponent for entry.

"Careful, Karin," Matsumoto's voice suddenly spoke out from the ear piece. "One mistake with the password, and alarm bells will go off inside. He's caught tons of robbers that way."

She nodded to no one in particular.

"Nemu is trying to figure it out now," her guardian continued. "It's well protected. Just hang on a moment."

"No problem," she drawled sarcastically. "If someone shows up, I'll just pretend I'm selling Girl Scout cookies."

She heard snickering on the other end, and Matsumoto clicked her tongue in protest at the joke.

_'But, you know, I could probably figure it out myself rather than wait around like an idiot,' _she couldn't help but think to herself. It only required logic, and she was proud to have an abundant amount of that. _'Birthday? Nah, too obvious. Besides, you don't know when his birthday is, idiot. Name? That's too lame.'_

She ran through a possible list of passwords in her head but came up infuriatingly blank. But as she scratched her chin, her eyes latched onto something glinting on the other side of the gate. Curious, she peered through the metal bars, craning her neck and squinting.

It was a birdbath, she realized. Just a small structure, though marvelous just the same. The stone was indeed very beautiful and carefully polished. But the object that had been glinting was the statue suspended in the middle. It was a detailed, gold painted lion.

_'Oh, yeah. Our school mascot is a lion, isn't it?' _She thought back to the one pep rally she had seen and definitely remembered a lame lion costume wandering around. Since the man had been the previous principal before his son took over, he apparently had a liking for the wild cats. There was something in that...

_'Lions spelled backwards? No, that seems too obvious, too. Where they come from, their class...' _Nothing seemed right, until, _'The most famous lion is...definitely Simba. Who doesn't know who that is? __**That **__spelled backwards is...Abmis...'_

With baited breath, she took a chance and typed it into the password keypad. To her disbelief, the gate _clicked _as it unlocked, and she simply pushed it open and stepped inside.

_'Che. You'd think the guy would at least have better security for his own __**house**__,' _she thought with mirth.

"Karin?" Rangiku suddenly cried into the speaker. "What did you -"

"I'm in," she whispered smugly.

"That was too reckless!" the red head screeched suddenly, and Karin clapped a hand over her ear. "What if you'd gotten it _wrong _and the cops showed up? What would we have done then? Nemu was almost done, too!"

"Kami, Ran-chan," she groused. "It all worked out, so stop yelling so loudly."

There was a deep sigh from the other end, and she knew the woman would be complaining of a headache for the rest of the day. She liked to be dramatic about it, too, since she knew they would get her all the sake she wanted if she was. Mostly just to shut her up, but they let her believe it was because they cared about her getting better.

"Well, not everything worked out perfectly," Rangiku replied grimly. "We just found out Yoshida isn't even home; he took a quick detour on his way. _And _he has the papers with him."

Karin shrugged to herself. "That's fine. I can wait. It's not like I can do much else right now, anyway."

There was yet another deep sigh on the other end. "All right. I'll get in touch with you when he gets closer."

"'Kay."

The speaker crackled as it was apparently put away, and Karin shrugged again. Time to find a place to wait.

Lazily, she climbed one of the many trees on the path up to the big mansion. Settling down on a large and sturdy branch, she stretched back and tucked her hands under her head, carelessly drifting off to sleep.

…

When Yoshida returned, Karin was already standing on her branch and waiting. Leaning on the large tree trunk, she smirked as she followed his passing limousine with her smug eyes. They widened when she laid eyes on her principal, though. What was he doing here!

_'Stupid question, Karin. This **is **his house.'_

The two stepped out of the car and walked inside briskly, papers in hand. Karin caught the large heading on one of them, and her heart leaped as she confirmed it as her target. With that in mind, she leaped from tree to tree, sliding into the house through one of the open windows. All she had to do was locate the two Yoshida men, and she could easily complete her recovery.

To her astonishment, she wandered through the hallways without encountering anyone. The house apparently needed better security. Maybe it was the area she had encountered, but it seemed almost deserted.

_'Do the two live here all alone? Kami, how lonely. But, man, this first mission blows.' _She wouldn't even have a cool story to tell the gang when she returned.

That all changed when she turned a corner, and found herself facing a large grouping of security guards. Though she almost _jumped_ out of her _skin_, they were all facing away, leaning over some sort of magazine and drooling.

A little disgusted, she _very _quietly backed away, feeling her way with her hands as she dared not look away from them. It seemed everything was going well, but just when she turned a corner, one of the dogs with them growled.

"What is it, boy? Do you hear someone?"

Her breath caught, and she froze.

"I don't _see _anything."

"Maybe they bolted."

"Oh, crap! Yoshida will _kill _us if we let another one through!"

"Find them!"

Well, needless to say, Karin hightailed it out of there like she was on_ fire_.

_'Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no!' _With that chant, she slid around corners, hearing pounding footsteps and angry snarling from behind her. Her breath came out in heavy pants, but she ignored her own panicking body and pushed herself. _'Oh, no! Oh, no!'_

They were getting closer and closer! She picked up the pace, but there was no way she would be able to outrun them forever. With a split second decision, she first rubbed herself against the wall, and then rushed into the opposite path and ducked into a small indention, skidding under the decorative table and vase set up inside.

The officers paused right outside the hallway, gazing around in confusion. She waited with baited breath as there was a deep silence. But then, to her enormous relief, one of the dogs passed right by, sniffing the wall she had pressed herself against.

"She went this way?" one of them asked, and the dog barked. He turned to the other men. "We'll go ahead. Two of you go position yourselves outside Yoshida's study and keep him guarded, just in case."

They split up, and Karin counted ten beats before crawling out gingerly. She was quite alone now, so she took a moment to catch her breath. As she was doing so, she caught sight of the decoration inside the vase. It was a beautiful arrangement of feathers of different colors, each of them bright and eye-catching.

_'Yumichika would like this,' _she thought absentmindedly, fingering a few of them, pleased by how soft they were. However, she pulled herself together soon after, rushing away from the hallway. She knew where Yoshida was now; he was in his study, and that would be the room that had two guards positioned outside it.

_'Idiot guards.'_

In her determination and hurry, she failed to realize that a white feather from the vase was stuck to her clothes.

…

She had no way to get in. Though she'd found the study quite easily, it was impossible to get in through anyway. The door was guarded, and in the one moment it had opened, she'd observed that there were no windows inside. Not to mention both the Yoshida men were inside, so she couldn't just _waltz _in.

With a deep sigh, she gazed at the vent in the ceiling. It seemed to be the only way in, and with a place this big, she was sure the space would be big enough. Pressing her back against a wall, she steeled herself, and then she ran at the opposite wall, using it to brace her body and kick herself into the air. When she was up there, she kicked the covering of the vent off, landing gracefully and catching it immediately after. With it in her hand now, she kicked herself up again and grabbed on to the inside, swinging herself in. Gingerly, she placed the cover back on once she was inside, making sure it was in place before sliding away.

As she'd thought, the vent was _just _big enough, and she thanked herself for not being claustrophobic, or else she would be in trouble. Keeping mind of the hallway patterns, she maneuvered herself through the pipes, heading for where she thought the study room was.

_'Jackpot!'_

She peered through the opening she had stopped at and was satisfied to see the study inside. Her principal and his father were apparently discussing the documents in their hands, as they kept shuffling through them.

With nimble fingers, she pried the covering off, turning it sideways and pulling it inside. Acting like it was a bomb, she set it down _very gently, _sighing softly in relief once she had finished. Neither of the two in the room had noticed.

She peered in cautiously, keeping her eyes away from her principal.

"No, no," she heard his father saying. "If we lend him all this money and his business doesn't work, then we lose too much money. It's too risky a gamble."

"But if it works," his son argued softly, "then we earn a lot more. I think we should trust him."

She grinned hearing that. He had always believed in everyone. Even her...

Ridding her mind of traitor thoughts, she flicked her eyes around the room, trying to find what she'd come for. She gazed around the room, passing over the furniture and several packed bookshelves, until -

There they were! The papers were just lying on the large desk underneath her, along with a million other documents. She spotted the large logo at the top and smirked. By this time, she'd had enough of this job. The guilty feeling kept nagging at her, especially with her kind-hearted principal right below.

_'Screw the good story_,' she thought with a scowl.

So she just waited until the two men had turned before hooking her legs on the vent and swinging down. She was so swift that she grabbed the papers on the first try and was back up before they turned around, completely unaware that a recovery had just happened right behind them. Feeling triumphant, she covered the vent and crawled away, just excited to get out of there.

For the second time, she'd failed to notice when the white feather on her clothes had drifted off, landing exactly where the forged papers had originally sat.

**.. ღ ..**

Her entire family was _so _proud of her. She'd recovered something for the first time, only with her _own_ skills. Matsumoto, who'd been drinking the entire time from worry, had been drunk off her ass when she'd returned and had immediately shoved Karin into a suffocating embrace in her bosom. The men had clapped her on the back, looking like proud fathers.

The news report had come out later that week.

"...and an outraged Yoshida immediately called the police," the reporter recalled, and everyone in the household laughed boorishly as they listened to it. "Investigators arrived at the scene only moments later, and found that there was no solid evidence; no fingerprints, no footprints, nothing out of place." Their snickering was cut off as she continued, "Except for one thing,"

There was suddenly shocked silence as the screen flashed the picture of a white feather.

"Police officers found a white feather on the scene where the documents had previously been sitting. Expert ornithologists claim that it is from a _gyrfalcon_, a rather expensive breed of falcons. No evidence was found on the feather either, however, and officers are still continuing the investigation."

"What's with the feather?" Ikkaku grunted curiously.

Karin shrugged. "Wasn't me."

Later that night, she looked up gyrfalcons, a little curious about the bird now that it was being linked to her recovery. After learning a little about the bird's class, environment, and purposes, she finally came across an interesting website.

_'The gyrfalcon. Spiritual meaning: Maintain a knightly code in your activities.' S_he bit the inside of her cheek, spinning in her chair as she pondered that. _'Knightly code meaning chivalry? Like honor, respect, honesty, integrity...'_

To her surprise, she found the feather to be a very fitting message. Isn't that what she had wanted all along? For the criminals to maintain a respect for others, to be honest in their lives and uphold their ethics? She wouldn't really expect anyone to get it on first glance, but...she couldn't resist the idea of sending her targets a secret message – a _scolding _of sorts.

The next day, she cornered Yumichika in the hall.

"Hey, where do you get your feathers?" she asked with interest, gazing up at the ornaments on his eyebrows.

He grinned. "I have a feather guy," he replied. "He has them shipped in for me. It's very expensive, you know. Of course, no price is too high to uphold a sense of fashion and beauty -"

"Yeah, whatever," she cut across him. Leaning forward, she mumbled, "Can you get me some?"

His face lit up immediately. "You've finally seen the beauty in my style?" he squealed, extremely excited. "Oh, I _knew _there was hope for you yet -"

"I need a whole box of white, gyrfalcon feathers," she cut across him again. Ignoring his sudden confusion, she continued, "I need them as soon as possible. In fact, I won't do anymore jobs until I get them."

With that ultimatum, it wasn't long before she got what she wanted. Feeling satisfied, she tucked them away in her closet, ready to use them for her next recovery. Now that she'd done such an excellent job, everyone was super excited to send her out again. She hadn't even been seen once! That was _excellent_ technique.

Karin couldn't have been more smug with herself. Everyone in the house was so _proud _of her, always looking at her like she was a hero for doing a job at such a young age. She couldn't _wait _until the next one.

Until she talked to her principal again. One day in school, she bumped into him in the school hallway, and he sent her a heart-breaking smile. So as not to be rude, she had to ask what was wrong, and he sighed.

"My father," he explained, extremely distraught. "He's been robbed." She frowned, not appreciative of being called a criminal. "It happened right under our noses! I just don't understand who could do such a thing..."

She stayed silent, not sure what to say to console him when he was talking about _her. _Though he obviously didn't know about his father's crimes..

Suddenly, he scowled. "I mean, I've heard of heartless criminals before, and we've had a few try to come to our home, but this is the first time we've ever _lost _anything in a robbery. I don't understand how some people can do such thing to other people without a second thought. How despicable."

She swallowed the thick lump in her throat, at a loss for words. Was that true? Were they despicable? Sure, they took things from others, but it was for good, not evil. If those criminals hadn't done bad deeds in the first place, they wouldn't have to act against them.

But still, it _was _rather unfair to attack unannounced and take from someone else on their own property. Some men were good, like her principal, and yet they were still hurt by their good deeds. Everyone deserved a second chance, right?

From that moment on, Karin _insisted _that she would refuse to complete any recovery without informing the victim first. Her family refused outright, and she bristled with anger every time the subject was broached.

"If we attack them without warning," she argued furiously one evening, "then we're no better than them, just stealing from unsuspecting victims!"

"Absolutely not!" Hisagi retorted back. "It's too reckless and dangerous. You're not going anywhere near an armed squad of professionals."

"I deal with the police on a regular basis," she bit back, trying to calm her voice and reason with him.

"That's different than bodyguards hired specifically to harm you," Isane explained delicately. "They won't care what happens to you if their employer orders it."

Karin stomped away, unable to argue with the gentle healer.

However, that evening, there was a knock on her bedroom door. She had her knees to her chest on her bed, and she considered just ignoring the visitor in her rage, but then Hanatarou's pathetic voice drifted through the doorway.

"Karin-chan?" he squeaked. She considered him for a moment before huffing, bouncing off her bed, and ripping the door open.

"What?" she snarled.

He shrank back a little more. "Umm..." Looking hesitant, he dug his hand into his pocket and shoved a small piece of paper into her grasp. "This might help you with your problem," he mumbled before rushing away.

She gaped after him curiously before unfolding the note. On it was a phone number and one word: _Yamamoto-san. _Curious, she pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and flipped it open, typing in the number her friend had given to her.

"Hello?" a weary voice answered on the end, and the owner wheezed a bit.

"Yamamoto-san?" she whispered, softly shutting her door closed behind her. "It's Kurosaki Karin."

The next time she went on a recovery, a large pack of trained dogs and an armed guard waited for her. Apparently, _somehow_ the news had leaked to the police that _someone _was going to attempt to steal money from the wealthy owner of a bakery, who had unknowingly been making his son pickpocket from the customers as they left. She sneaked her way in so easily that it was almost scary, and on her way out, she also nicked his computer drive, on which was a list of all of his customers and the profit he had made from each, leaving behind a feather in its place.

When her family found out, they were livid. A screaming match ensued, and she had only Yamamoto-san to back her up. (She wisely left Hanatarou out of it). They defended their scheme by explaining the injustice of their jobs, and her family forbid her from doing any more missions. Biting back a scathing retort, she stomped to her room.

The next time they got a job, Yamamoto leaked it again. This time, the criminal turned himself in to the police, confessing to his crimes in horrified shame once he'd learned that someone would attempt to steal his own robbed goods. After that, the family allowed Karin back into the business, and each time she left, they allowed their insider on the force to drop hints of it, in hopes that the criminal would see his wrongs and confess.

With her white feathers and code of ethics, Karin soon became the most righteous robber the police had ever faced.

**.. ღ ..**

_Three years later._

When the school bell rang, Karin sighed with great relief as she slammed her textbook shut. Oh, she had no problem with school. It was easy, especially when she had a house full of above intelligent adults to tutor her when she needed help. After three years, her guilt towards her principal had worn off too. But she hated sitting still for so long. And PE had been canceled because the coach was out with the flu. At least she had hours of intense training with Yumichika to look forward to when she got home.

She stuffed her notebooks in her bag and scurried out of the classroom. It didn't take long for Hanatarou and Rin to catch up with her, as both were in classrooms next to hers.

"How was your day, Karin-chan?" Hanatarou asked, always shy.

She shrugged. "Long. That test in Japanese History was a piece of cake, though. Especially those questions about the paintings from the Heian period? I mean, Hisagi just recovered one of those paintings last week!"

"_Shhh_..." Rin looked around nervously to make sure no one had heard, and Karin laughed heartily and slapped him on the back.

"No need to worry, Rin. You know half the kids at this school are as dumb as shit. I could talk about our "recoveries" all day long and they would never know."

"_Karin-chan!_" Hanatarou couldn't help but cry. His paranoia never had an expiration date.

"Okay, okay." She let up, holding up her hands in defense.

With her backpack slung over her shoulder, she crossed her arms and strutted down the hallway with her two best friends at her side. Starting school was new for them. They'd always been home-schooled, the abundance of teachers and studies plentiful in their home. But then Karin had arrived, and Matsumoto had wanted to make the transition into this new life easier for her. So she had sent her off to school, and Rin and Hanatarou got stuck tagging along with her. They didn't seem to mind much though. At least bullies had stopped picking on them ever since Karin had beat the snot out of the last punks that had shoved them in the hall. There had been rumors going around once about the three of them shacking up together; it hadn't helped that they got picked up together every day. But she'd denied the accusations, claiming they were her adoptive brothers, and no one had said a word since.

They exited the school building together, on the lookout for their ride home by the entrance.

"Karin-chan! Hanatarou! Rin!" The three of them looked up to see Kiyone standing by the gates, cheerfully waving a hand over her head as she beckoned them over. Hanatarou and Rin immediately brightened up at the sight of her and ran forward. Karin was about to do the same, but a hand suddenly clapped down on her shoulder, preventing her from doing so. She looked over to see Daichi, one of her classmates.

"Kurosaki," he mumbled. "Could I speak to you?" He seemed rather nervous, refusing to look her in the eye, so she nodded in confusion.

"I'll catch up with you in a minute, okay?" she called over to her awaiting friends, who'd stopped to check on her. The two nodded and ran off to tell Kiyone, who was gazing at them curiously.

Daichi led her over to the side of the building, and she tightened the cross of her arms as she waited for him to speak. He was a nice enough guy. One time, they'd been partnered up for a project, and they'd really hit it off. Or maybe that was her own wishful thinking. Could he possibly be looking for a fight? She _did_ get called out for those a lot, though they were usually a waste of her time, especially after she had dealt with high-tech lasers and brutally trained dogs.

"Kurosaki," he began, and she gave him her puzzled attention. "This might be kind of sudden, but we've known each other for a while now and we always has such a good time together. I've never felt so comfortable around another girl." He paused to lick his lips, nervously running a hand through his hair. "Well, anyway, the reason I wanted to talk to you is because I heard on the news that the museum has this cool new exhibit. They have this Egyptian amulet that used to belong to some great king on display for just a few weeks. There's only, like, _three_ replicas in the whole world since it's so detailed, and each one is worth _a lot_ of money."

Karin nodded. She knew this; she'd seen the news report on it herself, and it had drawn her interest.

"Well, I was wondering," Daichi continued, "since I know you like history so much and you're really into this kind of stuff, maybe...we could go see it together this weekend?"

There was a long beat of silence.

"...Are you asking me out?" Karin, ever the tactful teenager, blurted out in surprise. Daichi blushed to the roots of his hair but nodded.

"Of course, you don't _have_ to," he said quickly. "It was just an idea. We can still be friends."

"Um, no. _No_, I'd love to go," Karin replied, suddenly snapping out of her daze. Shifting the weight on her hip and readjusting her backpack, she allowed a small, almost _shy_ smile to cross her lips; this was her first time getting asked out, after all! "Thanks."

His returning smile was just as shy, but happy, nonetheless. "Okay. So, Friday? After school?"

"Sure," she agreed, turning and waving at him over her shoulder. "I'll wait for you by the gates."

And she ran off to tell her anxiously waiting family; Kiyone squealed for ten minutes straight while Hanatarou and Rin gaped at the completely mortified teenager. To make things worse, the whole house knew about Karin's date by that evening. It didn't help that the second they'd arrived at home, Kiyone had screeched out, "Karin-chan's a woman now!"

It had taken quite a long time to convince an enraged Renji that she had _not_ slept with some guy. Ikkaku, however, was _still_ fuming by the end of dinner.

"Who is this _boy_?" he growled, reaching for his katana with a murderous gleam in his eyes.

"Oh, calm down, Ikkaku," Matsumoto admonished him. "It's just one date." Her eyes narrowed suddenly, and she glared over at Karin, who had been shooting her thankful glances. "It _is_ just a date, _right_?"

"Of course," she insisted, a little embarrassed by their thoughts.

"Then that's okay," her guardian accepted happily. Ikkaku glowered at her, enraged by her leniency, but wisely did not say anything; everyone knew all decisions about Karin were Rangiku's final say. Except for the recovering missions, which Karin had fought for too adamantly for her to refuse.

"I can't believe Karin's going on her first _date_," Kiyone squealed, and the other women joined her.

"She's all grown up," Isane whispered, actually wiping away a tear. "First the missions, now a date..."

"Oh!" Matsumoto suddenly exclaimed. "Speaking of missions! Sorry to burst our teary bubble, but..."

She hopped out of her chair and skipped over to the kitchen counter, where a manila folder was resting on the top. Karin recognized it, and her eyes lit up as her guardian sat back down, waving it in the air temptingly.

"You've got a new job," Matsumoto informed her, grinning widely. "It came in this morning while you were at school. It's another big one."

"Oh, I can handle anything," Karin replied cockily.

With a laugh, the red-head set the file in front of her. "We know you can, and that's why you're doing this. Anyway, this one is bound to be exciting. It's another museum piece."

"We've been getting a lot of those recently, huh?" Karin said in wonder, flipping open the folder and gazing through it.

"Well, this one has got to be done quick," Rangiku told her. "It's only going to be in the city for a few more weeks, and then I'm sure the thief will probably just try to sell it off for some extra money."

Karin briefed through the history on the artifact; she didn't need to look thoroughly to know it was probably important, or else no one would have bothered stealing it. However, her heart suddenly skipped a dreadful beat when she looked at the picture.

"It's that new necklace on display," Matsumoto was saying, completely oblivious to her pained expression. "You know, the -"

"Egyptian amulet?" she deadpanned, her eyes still glued to the photo.

Matsumoto blinked. "Um, yeah. Wow! How did you know?"

Karin just groaned.

* * *

><p>One more chapter of Karin's story to go! Now you know how she came to be the criminal she is. Also, I know this was a weird place to end the chapter; it was actually longer, but I took a part of the last scene and put it in the next chapter instead.<p>

Which brings me to my next point: The next chapter is almost done! I just have to finish up one last scene and then I'll put it up ^^ And we get to see Toushiro again! And then, after that, we're back to the beginning.

So, happy holidays, everyone! I hope you enjoy yourselves and have a wonderful break :D


	6. IV

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.**

* * *

><p>As she had expected, Daichi was <em>not<em> happy about her backing out of their date.

"Oh, so your _grandmother_ just _suddenly_ contracted some rare disease, huh?" he demanded harshly the next day at school, when she called him out to apologize. "Of course I'll believe that." He snorted.

"It's..._true_," she insisted. "We could always just go another tim -"

"You know what?" he cut across her. "Let's not bother." And before she could say another word, he stalked away angrily.

Needless to say, when Karin carried out her next job that Friday, she was in an _extremely _foul mood. She was perched on the wall surrounding the museum, behind the building. In the front, numerous police cars were flashing blue and red lights, and the place was swarmed with officers. She knew the inside of the museum was just as packed, and she gritted her teeth, preparing herself for the recovery. It was actually a welcoming distraction from her "break-up" at school today, if one could call it that. They hadn't even gone out once. How pathetic.

With skillful ease, she climbed up a tree, using branches to swing higher and higher. Once she was level with the roof, she lunged, making it at the last second and pushing herself up. The idiots down there hadn't bothered to keep the _top _of the building secure either. She hadn't even bothered to change out of her school uniform; that's how easy it was for her to sneak in. It was sort of a private taunt from her to the police, to show her superiority for the sake of her pride. And following that same pride, she strode to the front of the building, peering down at the mess of people. However, she caught sight of someone she hadn't seen before. It was a rather young woman, dressed in a nice suit with a police badge pinned to her chest. Her black hair was cropped short from the front, much like her own, but two braids hung down the back. Karin followed her with her eyes, picking up on her obvious authority.

"Chief Soi-Fon!" one of the officers called out to her, and he stumbled forward. "The amulet is secure, Ma'am."

"You can't say it's secure until we prevent it from being stolen," she snapped back, looking strict.

Karin smirked. She rather liked the woman. Though she was rather annoyed by the "stolen" part. That's what _she _was trying to prevent!

"No one's getting in or out of that building," the officer promised anyway, seeming to want to please her.

The chief narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Well, the Farukon no Kage isn't just _somebody_," she hissed before stalking inside.

Karin frowned. _'The Farukon no Kage? Who's that?' _She pondered over it for a few seconds before she linked the falcon feather with herself. _'__**Me? **__Oh, shit! They __**named **__me? Although...the Farukon no Kage...It's kind of cool...'_

She shook her head to clear it, trying to get back in the recovering zone. Little did she know, this would be far from her last face-off with Chief Soi-Fon.

There was a large vent protruding from the center of the building, surrounded by important wires. Remembering her very first mission, she ripped off the cover and, with a graceful ease, she maneuvered herself into the vent, twisting her body to writhe in slowly. It was actually a rather large space.

_'This museum's just asking to be robbed,'_ she thought with incredulity. With a push back, she hopped down deeper, effectively caging herself within the metal pipe. Luckily for her, she knew exactly where she was going; Kira had made sure to do his investigative homework on the building, and she was thankful for it. So, with determination, she crawled through the vent, keeping her head ducked and her body crouched.

_'Bathroom. Astronomy section. Homo sapiens display.'_ As she passed over ducts, she visualized the layout of the building, making sure to keep a firm grasp on her location. She couldn't afford to pop out somewhere completely random, after all, especially if the chief of police had shown up too. '_Japanese history. War reenactment display. World history!'_

It was with a triumphant smirk that she gazed down the duct into a widely open room. As proof of her accuracy, she saw swarms of police officer standing around the room, their guns poised as their eyes shifted around uneasily. They were waiting for her, like always.

_'I gotta make this quick,'_ she reminded herself. This was the largest turnout of officers yet, and since the amulet would be moved soon, this was her only chance to snag it. '_No pressure, Karin.'_

With a deep, reassuring sigh, she gazed around the room. The amulet stood in the center, in a protective glass covering.

_'It's fake,'_ she deduced immediately. It was a little too obvious for them to be using a decoy, and she felt rather insulted, as if they were testing her intelligence. Well, everyone on the team had once spent countless days teaching her how to spot decoys from three miles away; she could practically do it in her sleep. Now, the only question was, where was the real one? Obviously, it was somewhere close by. She had learned from so many encounters with them that the police in this area were a paranoid bunch; they wouldn't station so many cops in a room where the target _wasn't_. So she lazily gazed around until her eyes landed on a peculiar sight; it was an Elizabethan display of two English ladies dressed in their ridiculous petticoats, sipping tea as they flaunted their excessive jewelry to show off their wealth (well, that's how it looked to _her_, at least).

_'One of these things doesn't belong,'_ she thought in amusement, her eyes trained on the necklace one of them was wearing. '_That clashes horribly with your time period, Milady.'_

They obviously hadn't considered that she might have an above average knowledge of history. With a smirk, she sat up more comfortably, ready to strike. She would have to do this stealthily. She couldn't afford to get caught now that they thought of her as enough of a threat to _name_ her. But how? Was there even a way to get _in there_ without being spotted?

And her eyes, trained to latch onto even the most absurd object that could be made useful, caught sight of a fuse box in the corner.

She smirked.

…

Soi-Fon was closely observing everything from a hidden corner, keeping her senses sharp and peeled. She'd be damned if she missed this elusive thief after her team had suffered too many losses. She'd _chain_ herself to them if she had to at this point.

"Everyone in place?" she demanded roughly. "We can't afford to screw this up."

"Y-Yes, Chief," some of them stuttered, and she smirked, content with the fear she inflicted in them. She wouldn't stand for any of her subordinates thinking her weak.

Another one bowed to her. "Chief, how many of us would you like to guard the decoy?"

"All of you," she replied immediately. When they gaped at her in surprise, she explained, "It'll make the fake seem more realistic, obviously. If Kage makes a break for the real one, then _you _just have to swerve over that way..." She faced the display, and all the officers in the room whipped around to understand what she was saying.

In that moment, all the lights in the room turned off at once.

"What happened to the lights!"

"Who's the idiot that hit the switch?"

"_Someone _turn them on, quick!"

"Don't worry! The generator will kick in soon."

After much panicking, shoving, and hurried footsteps in the pitch black, the lights finally flickered on, blinding them slightly before their eyes finally adjusted. Soi-Fon glared at her men ferociously for panicking so much. What kind of weak, idiotic force had she trained!

However, before she could get a word out, she was hit with the strangest sensation. Something in the room was..._off. _She couldn't quite pinpoint it, but _something -_

"The amulet's gone!" one of her men suddenly cried out in dismay. "Kage was _here!_"

With a horrified gasp, Soi-Fon whipped her head towards the display case. But, how _strange_... The decoy amulet was still in place. In fact, the case looked completely untouched and undisturbed. Kage hadn't even spared it a thought. With dread building up in her stomach, Soi-Fon swerved towards the display in the corner of the room, her eyes latching onto the bare neck of one of the mannequins.

The lights had been out for all but twenty seconds, but the amulet was gone, and a white feather laid on the table in the Elizabethan display.

"_Damn it!_" she cursed furiously.

**.. ღ ..**

Karin couldn't stop snickering as she lazily wandered down the empty street opposite the museum, carelessly throwing the amulet in the air and catching it as it fell down. That had been too easy. She kind of wished she could have stuck around to see the looks on their faces when they realized what had happened, but she knew Hisagi would scold her for letting the amulet possibly slip through her fingers just because she wanted to privately gloat.

It had been a simple enough mission. She'd crawled over to the fuse box in her vent and, in the one second everyone had been looking away, she's swung down stealthily, pulling the light switch along with her. Her steps had been so light that she hadn't made a single sound, and even the chief, who'd been three feet in front of her, had failed to realize a master thief had landed right behind her.

As sudden panic had set in, she'd ignored the frenzy around her, instead rushing straight for the necklace and dodging police officers left and right. She hadn't hit a single one, and as they'd all fumbled with the lights, she'd grabbed the amulet hastily, thrown the feather on the table, and jumped out the window into one of the nearby trees. By the time they'd finally turned on the lights again, she had already hopped from tree to tree and landed _outside _the museum safely.

"Renji," she said into her cellphone now, trying not to sound so _smug _but finding it difficult. "Pick me up?"

"Done already?" he asked, sounding impressed. "'Kay. I'm bringing the car around."

As she waited for any sight of the car coming down the street, she rocked back and forth on her heels, gazing up at the night sky and the half moon in it. A sudden, warm breeze blew her hair into her face, and as she tucked the short strands behind her ear, her thoughts briefly turned to her canceled date. If she hadn't had a job, she mused, would she have been stargazing with Daichi beside her, like a normal high-schooler? That seemed likely, but as she grazed her eyes over the recovered necklace in her hands, she couldn't help but remember the rush she had felt in there, correcting a heinous crime.

A small smirk graced her lips, and she shook her head in humor.

_'Yup. **So **much better than a date.'_

**.. ღ ..**

_Four years later._

Matsumoto threw a manila folder onto the table. Placing her hand over it, she slid it across the top to the other end, where Karin grabbed it and flipped it open.

"Nice locket," she commented lazily, gazing up at her former caretaker. "New job?"

"Yes." Rangiku nodded. "A robbery that took place a few years back. The owner tracked it down to the manager of a small restaurant here, in the rougher parts of town. He sent a representative down here in his place, and Kira managed to find him somehow. He's desperate enough to try us out."

"How'd it end up here?" Karin wanted to know. She carelessly curled her legs onto the chair, sliding down into a slouch as she flipped through the files.

"Expedition in Morocco," the red head explained. "He placed an order through the black market and hitched a ride on a train the same day. The owner didn't even notice until he was long gone."

"It's important?"

"Very," Rangiku replied solemnly. "Major part of history, super expensive. I'm surprised they didn't have guards watching over the thing day and night. Owner's been tracing it through the market." Her face twisted into disgust. "Gruesome job, that is. Been dealing with the worst thieves, trying to figure out where and to whom it was handed off to. He followed the chain of robbery and finally found the guy he was looking for."

"History?"

"A major treasure. It was part of the loot of one of the ancient kings. He died and everything was distributed between anybody who could get their hands on it. This locket, though, has belonged to just one family through the generations. Some wealthy noble bought it at the time, and it's been passed down through the family."

"Tough break." Karin let out a sigh as she briefed through the photos. She found a picture of a balding man, his face pudgy and rather rat-like. She held it up. "This the guy?"

"Yup," Matsumoto replied, popping the last letter. "Owns a pretty successful _Moroccan _restaurant down south." Her lips curled in distaste. "Guess he liked the country so much, he had to bring it here. I had Kiyone and Sentarou stake the place out already." She waved a hand at the folder, and Karin returned to it, this time looking over the pictures of the restaurant. "It's pretty legit. He's got a whole bunch of Moroccan artifacts hanging up, but we checked and those are all legally purchased. It was only the necklace that he couldn't get his hands on."

"Looks like a fun place," Karin said with a smirk. Each picture was an explosion of color, from the bright tapestries to the exquisite carpets.

"Oh, I'm sure it's a hoot," Rangiku agreed off-handedly. "Would be even better if the owner wasn't a sniveling thief."

"So, what? I'm going as a customer...?" Karin questioned. Matsumoto made a face, wrinkling her nose.

"Wish it was that easy, but we'll need you on the inside. Otherwise, it's too risky. He keeps that locket with him all the time."

"So, what exactly are you asking me to do?" Karin questioned, leaning forward in curiosity.

Matsumoto grimaced, but Karin could have sworn it was from trying to hold back...laughter?

"It all depends," she replied, waving her hand airily. "Can you belly dance?"

**.. ღ ..**

Karin tried to stifle her outrageous blush as she was led down a long hallway by a bubbly woman who would soon be her "colleague" of sorts. The two were somewhere deep in the heart of a small dance studio in the city, and she hurried along with anticipation as the two headed to their scheduled practice room, where she would meet the rest of the dancers of their group – the people she would have to trick for the next few weeks. When they came to a closed door at the end of the hall, her companion stepped in and ushered her along.

The room was quite busy. She could see six women in total, and now including them, there were eight. Some were seated by the walls, drinking out of half empty water bottles and wiping sweat from their brows, and others were practicing their dance by a small boombox blasting exotic music.

"Listen up, everyone!" her partner called out over the noise, clapping her hands. They all paused in what they were doing and looked over to her. One of them quickly stopped the music as well. "This, ladies, is Kimi-chan." She gestured to Karin, who gave a small wave. Some waved back. "Aya-chan is still recovering from her broken leg after that fall during our last performance, so Kimi-chan will be replacing her in the next. You know, the one in that Moroccan restaurant. Treat her kindly!"

After her introduction, the women immediately flocked to her, chatting excitedly or thanking her profusely for saving their show.

"Don't worry, we'll teach you all the moves until you can do them in your sleep," they assured her.

"And _you _shouldn't worry either, because I'm a fast learner," she declared. They giggled and pulled her along farther into the room so they could have more space to start practicing.

Matsumoto, she was sure, was probably laughing it up right now at the thought of Karin trying to shake her hips and perform such a jerky dance. She'd had a total _fit _when her caretaker had first explained to her the only way she could have a chance to complete the job was by taking up the role of an experienced dancer and filling in for a group of belly dancers who would soon be performing at their targeted location.

"It's the most innocent situation," Matsumoto had explained through her snickers. "Who would think a dancer would have any sort of ulterior motive? We couldn't get any easier alibis if we tried."

"You can just _forget it!_" Karin had yelled. "There's no way I'm demeaning myself like that. _You _can do it."

"So you're just going to sit back and let a guilty man go free?" Rangiku had demanded, playing on her guilt and sense of justice.

"No..."

And that was how she had ended up here. She was to pretend to fill in for the hurt Aya-chan, use the innocent explanation to infiltrate the restaurant, and then find the manager and steal the necklace. But before then, she had to go through extensive practices to learn all the steps and maneuvers of belly dancing.

She was _so _going to get back at Matsumoto the first chance she got.

**.. ღ ..**

Several rehearsals passed, yet Karin had never seen the manager even once. Only their group leader had ever met him in order to go over their schedule, and Karin couldn't help but be irritated that she had to do all this for scum she had never even laid eyes on.

At least she was getting better at the dance. She'd been deemed acceptable by the other women, and she had only all her training to thank for making her so flexible and enduring. So far, though, she'd only danced in front of females. The thought of going out in front of sick _men _and letting them leer at her was disturbing.

"I'm sure it'll be _fine_," Rangiku had assured her, choking back her laughter.

Karin was only relieved that no one she knew would see her dancing. After high school, she'd completely just dropped off the face of the planet. Nemu and Hisagi had completely destroyed any traces of her they could think of from all public records, keeping it in their own, impenetrable files. She'd gone to college, but under an alias, and after that, she'd lived her life as the secret Kage, using as many disguises as she needed to complete her jobs.

On the day of her recovery, she was "Kimi-chan" again. Amin-san, the representative from Morocco, had come over in the morning, stoic and expecting. She'd bowed on her way out, and Matsumoto had cheerfully waved after her.

"Don't screw up!" She'd then hiccuped and taken a swig from her sake bottle, throwing an arm around an uncomfortable Amin.

With a scowl, she'd barked at Renji to hurry the Hell up and get her away from there already, which he had done while snorting with laughter. Her group had rehearsed one last time at the studio before piling onto a bus, and then they'd arrived at the restaurant. It was an exquisite place, bursting with colors and smells and decorations. The authentic trinkets she'd seen in the photos had been taken down, though.

_'I guess he got our tip,' _she'd thought with mirth. But she was only there for the locket.

The restaurant had started to fill up late in the evening, and had gotten steadily noisier as time passed. It seemed it was actually a popular place, and she'd spotted many families having a good time and laughing together. Watching them, she'd thought of her own family, and a small smile had flitted across her lips briefly before she'd been serious again.

And now, it was almost time for curtain call. She had yet to see the manager still, but she had his picture as a reference, and she'd heard their group leader recount a few times about the gold chain hanging around his neck. So she knew who and what she was looking for, and where to find it. Karin breathed in deeply, preparing herself to go out there and perform wonderfully, in both her dancing and her recovery.

Two waitresses standing not too far away from her, however, diverted her attention. Both were dressed in their full waitress attire, one in blue and one in red. And, from what she could hear, they seemed to be in a heated conversation about one of their customers.

"Kami, what a jerk," the one in blue seethed, her upper lip baring back over her teeth in a snarl.

"Oh, I don't know, Aoi-chan," her red counterpart replied, giggling a little as a slight blush sprinkled over her cheeks. "I thought he was kind of sweet."

"Are you out of your _mind, _Akane?" Aoi demanded, placing her fisted hands on her hips. "He's obviously some womanizing playboy." She looked out over the restaurant, directing her fierce glare at a particular table.

Her curiosity overtaking her, Karin followed her line of sight through a small crack in the curtains, craning her neck to catch a glimpse of the middle of the crowded room. Skipping her gaze over the two mysterious men whispering shiftily with their heads bent together, her eyes finally landed on the table in front of theirs, which was occupied by three men. She took them in, one by one.

Well, the one with long, white hair hardly seemed like a womanizer. In fact, she had to admit, his genuinely warm, hazel eyes had a wonderful soothing quality. So, they _had _to have been talking about the man next to him – with his wavy, brown hair in a ponytail and his flirtatious eyes, he just screamed womanizer. Though he _did _have a certain charm about him, with his lightly unkempt beard adding a rough aspect to his otherwise inviting aura.

Satisfied with herself for having solved the mystery, she readily headed back to work, letting her gaze temporarily gloss over the second white-haired man on the far right –

– her eyes halted.

"Well, hell-_o_, _handsome_," she purred to herself, immediately setting her sights on him again. She licked her lips as she took in his physique.

He was _so_ _damn good-looking _that she was sure if this was a cheesy eighties mystery in a floozy bar, she would have wolf-whistled at him. He was dressed in a casual suit, the tie missing, the shirt's first few buttons unfastened, and the jacket hanging open carelessly. He had one elbow propped up on the back of his chair and held a glass of water nonchalantly by the rim in that hand – classic aloof posture. She _liked _unemotional, indifferent men, though, maybe because she loved challenges.

From the unbuttoned shirt, she could see where his thick neck connected with his wide shoulder blades, and she hummed in appreciation at the sight of the exposed tan skin. And balanced on that neck was the most drop dead _gorgeous _head, framed by hair unique for both its style and color. His eyebrows were furrowed deeply in a troubled line, and they added to the intensity of the glare in his eyes. _Mmm. _Was there _anything _hotter than a guy who could give a glare that rivaled her own?

As she watched, he smoothly bent his elbow, still keeping it balanced on the back of his chair, and guided his lips to his glass. She bent her index finger and bit the back of it with her teeth, clutching the curtain tightly with the other hand and keeping her gaze fixated on his mouth as he took a sip. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, and she sucked in a deep breath of air when he finally pulled the glass away, revealing his parted and _wet _lips. She growled under her breath as his tongue quickly darted out and licked his lips just once before shooting back in. Oh, yeah. She could _definitely_ see herself in that lap, kissing those lips.

Suddenly, a figure clad in blue stepped in her way, hiding the table from sight. Blinking rapidly in surprise, she recognized the raging waitress from before – Aoi, she remembered. She was bowing to them and handing the first white-haired man a check.

"Ah, geez, Aoi. _Move it,_" she hissed, narrowing her eyes at the girl's back. "You're blocking the view, girl."

"Kimi-chan?" a voice called out to her. She irritably turned to find one of the dancers from the group looking at her expectantly. "It's time."

She nodded in confirmation, abandoning the curtain to get into position. At the last second, her eyes strayed back to the table, and she saw the three men standing, ready to leave. Her mystery man, she noticed with an amused smirk, was by far the shortest of the three. Aoi said a few words to them and they sat back down, the object of her attraction looking furious and grumbling to himself as he did so.

So they were staying for the performance, huh? Terrific.

**.. ღ ..**

When the curtain rose, she made a beeline for his table, wanting a closer look at the man who had caught her attention. It turned out he was just as good-looking up close as he was from far away.

She danced her way around him, shaking her hips as she had learned to. She twisted her waist and rang her bells, enjoying the whoops and cheers of the audience. And as she twirled, she became aware of a steady gaze fixed on her, intense and unfaltering. Stealthily out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed the handsome stranger's eyes following her around the room.

Well, that was certainly a huge confidence boost. With recharged fervor, she added liveliness to her steps, keeping them lithe and graceful. She purposely swung by him countless times, relishing the way he looked her up and down. If it had been any other man, she would have socked him, but she rather liked the way this man stared at her so diligently. Besides, he didn't seem to hold any cruel or perverted intentions, so she decided there was no harm in his looking.

_'Okay, focus, Karin,' _she told herself then. _'You're here to do a job. We need the necklace.'_

She quickly scanned the room. Looking past the jeering men, politely applauding women, and other exotic dancers, she kept her eyes peeled for a short, portly rat of a man. Bringing his picture to the very front of her memory, she slowly analyzed each man who even vaguely matched his physical stature. Not him. Nope, not him. Of course, there was the chance of a disguise –

Ah-_ha! _Target located. With a self-satisfied smirk, she looked the man over – just as the picture had showed him, and apparently without the brains to even attempt to change his appearance. He was peeking out from a small hallway at a corner of the restaurant, a path she knew led to his office. That locket would soon be within her grasp, without a doubt.

But, as she spun a few more times and shook her hips, she finally noticed a major hitch in her plans; Mysterious Stranger still had his sexy gaze planted firmly on her.

Well, _damn. _No matter how flattering, this was going to cause serious problems tonight. How was she supposed to go about grabbing the neckalce if a handsome stranger was too smitten with her to look away long enough for her to stealthily do it? Unless...

_'Matsumoto will __**kill **__me for this,' _she thought gleefully. _'Serves her right.'_

And, if she was being totally honest, she really wanted to see how he would react.

Out the corners of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of the maid in red standing in the corner. Keeping mind of the man staring at her, she stuck out a hand and hit her pressure point. She crumpled to the ground, and she swiftly knocked a drapery over her. She felt bad, but the girl was in no immediate danger and would be found later.

Besides, she was _so enjoying _the way Mysterious Stranger was gaping at her, looking like he had lost his mind. Suppressing the urge to snicker, she bumped a plate of food into a woman's lap, and she and her date stormed out.

_'He's not...__**doing **__anything,' _Karin noted, realizing that the white-haired man had yet to move from his seat. In fact, he hadn't even _one bit_, even in his seat. He looked like he was in shock, and she almost chuckled at the observation. _'Poor guy_,' she allowed herself to think as another waitress was kicked under a tapestry.

This was the most fun she'd had on a recovery yet. She would have to remember to find _some _way to thank him.

However, though she was amused, she was also a little miffed. There were still too many people in the restaurant! It would take forever to get them out, and if she thought about it, it would also make her recovery harder if she had no frenzied crowd to blend into.

Pondering her problem as she danced next to her mystery man, her eyes latched onto something bright red. The fire alarm.

_'Perfect!' _she sang to herself. The gods were on her side today.

She bounced over happily, ignoring the whooping of the other men leering at her. Disgusting perverts. She only enjoyed the silent awe of the one man who had caught her attention. And she couldn't keep the smirk off her face as she _accidentally _hit the alarm with her elbow, swinging away in the next second.

Panic set in immediately. Customers and dancers and waiters started screaming and rushing out, piling up by the entrance in desperate attempts to get out. Karin only positioned herself at one of the room and waited for the manager, who had run into his office. She was sure he was getting his necklace.

"Shiro-chan, let's go!" she heard someone cry. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Mysterious Stranger still sitting in his seat, his heated gaze on her as his friends rushed out. So, he'd realized it was a fake fire, huh? Well, then, he would get to enjoy the show.

The manager came bounding into the room then. Almost immediately, her eyes latched onto the thin chain around his neck.

_'Perfect!' _Success was _so close!_

With an excited thrill running up her spine, she bent her knees and shot after him, determined to complete her recovery right then. She dodged tables and chairs, swerving around them gracefully as her eyes remained trained on her target. She was almost there! Soon, she could _finally _get out of this costume and –

– did he just trip?

To her complete and utter surprise, the portly manager stumbled and hit the ground, and _Mysterious Stranger _gaped at him as he slipped his legs back under the table.

Had he just..._helped _her? Didn't he realize that she was _recovering _something? Had he realized she was going this for the greater good? Though, judging by his horrified expression, the answer was probably a _'no.' _And yet he seemed calm, otherwise, not even perturbed by the turn of events. Instead, he seemed to be waiting for her to make the move.

_Damn,_ she was hot for him right now.

Of course, she couldn't let him know that. She had to finish her job. So, with her lithe form, she skidded to a stop beside the unconcious man and yanked the chain off his neck. And then, she shoved her hand down her tube top – she saw Mysterious Stranger blush, but she couldn't help it if this was where she had chosen to hide it – and pulled out a white feather. She let it go, and watched in utter satisfaction as it drifted away, completing an easy recovery.

And then, on impulse, she lunged sideways, balancing on her feet as she crouched in front of the white-haired stranger. His lips parted as he stared up at her in shock, and her heart started pounding heavily in her ears as a wave of desire passed through her. He was practically offering himself by making his lips look so damn appealing. She wasn't about to refuse the offer.

Without a single doubt or hesitation, she leaned forward quickly, tugging down her mask as she did so and not caring that he saw her face. As it drifted onto his lap, she grabbed the back of his head and yanked it forward roughly, meeting him halfway and closing her lips over his.

Oh,_ Kami, _it felt _amazing. _His lips were soft and cool, and she inhaled sharply as she desperately pressed her lips against his more firmly. He didn't do anything, only sitting there and letting her have her way. Pleased by this strange permission, she deepened the intimate contact, getting her fill of him and letting her senses go hay-wire before _finally _pulling away.

When she pulled back, he was looking up at her with a mixture of shock and awe, and she couldn't help but smirk proudly. Leaning into his ear, she giggled.

"Thanks for the help, _short stuff,_" she said, saucily.

Stifling the urge to wink, she gracefully leaped off the table, racing across the room with silent footsteps. With one leap, she jumped through the open window and raced down the street, her hand coiled tightly around the thin, golden chain.

**.. ღ ..**

She hung the locket in front of Matsumoto's face.

"Got it," she said triumphantly. She had washed off the excessive make-up straight away upon returning, as well as ripped the purple netting out of her hair. But, otherwise, she was still in her dancing get-up.

"Excellent," Matsumoto replied, beaming. She grabbed the necklace and stood out of her chair. "I'm gonna go give this to Amin-san, or he might just have himself a hissy fit soon."

Karin waited until the basement doors slammed shut before she hopped into Matsumoto's chair, swirling it around to face the army of computers set on the table and large monitors hanging on the walls. She grabbed a keyboard and settled it in front of her.

"The restaurant's database..." she mumbled. A few clicks was all it took before she found herself breaking through the security of the Moroccan restaurant she had just danced at and looking at a list of bookings. She smirked as she scrolled down. _'Well, lookie here. Only __**one **__reservation for three after eight p.m. How convenient.'_

The booking was scheduled under one _'Kyoraku Shunsui.'_ She briefly wondered which of the three at that table was this man. Right next to his name was a phone number, which the table had been booked under. She eyed the area code, biting her lip as she struggled to remember the foundation of that part of the city.

"Best hospital there is Fujii Hospital," she mumbled under her breath. Praying that her guess was accurate, she exited out of the restaurant's website, knowing Matsumoto's advanced defense system would erase any trace of her being there, and instead attacked Fujii Hospital. The protection of medical records being such a serious matter, she had difficulty with the codes for a much longer time; this had always been more of Rin's thing than her own. Finally –

"Bingo," she whispered. Her eyes scanned the long list of registered patients, her head swirling with countless kanji until...

"Kyoraku Shunsui," she breathed, excited beyond belief. Taking a reassuring breath, she clicked his name. Immediately, a transcript popped up, displaying personal information, such as an address and phone numbers. Ignoring those, her eyes dove at the picture on the top left corner of the page.

"So, it's our playboy," she muttered with disappointment as she took in the wavy hair and rough beard. Even in the picture, his eyes seemed flirtatious. She quickly scrolled through his page until she reached the section she had been searching for – emergency contacts. There were three names listed under the heading, each highlighted and leading to their own webpage.

The first name she clicked was _'Ise Nanao.'_ Oh, she knew it was a woman, but she was curious. A picture of a serious faced woman in a strict bun and glasses popped up, baring no resemblance to Kyoraku at all.

_'Ah. So our 'womanizing jerk' has a girlfriend,' _she thought with amusement. She returned to her previous page and clicked on the next name. _'Ukitake Jyuushiro' _yielded a picture of the same long, white-haired man from the restaurant; right hair color but, unfortunately, wrong person. She returned for the last time, and her cursor lingered over the highlighted name. _'Hitsugaya Toushiro.' _This could very well be her Mysterious Stranger. Holding her breath in excitement, she clicked on his name.

"This is it!" she cheered as that familiar face popped up – same hard jaw and puckered eyebrows. She felt pleasant chills run up her spine as she looked straight into his glare. "Found you," she said victoriously, beaming at the photo. She scrolled through his information, skipping over most of it until she came across the jackpot – his address. Feeling exhilaration pass through her, she committed it to memory before safely exiting out of the medical files.

Matsumoto returned moments later with a huge grin on her face and a thick wad of cash in her hands as the payment for their recovery of the locket.

"Sake's on me tonight," she sang as she bounced over. Karin rolled her eyes.

"Technically, it's on me," she corrected. "But, count me out. If everything goes right, I won't make it tonight."

"A man?" Rangiku squealed immediately, her whole face lighting up. Karin pressed her lips into a thin line to hide her pleased smile as she kicked her legs against the ground and spun in the chair.

"Maybe," she answered mysteriously, pressing her bare heel against the floor to skid the chair to a stop, and stood up. She locked her arms behind her head by grabbing her elbows and sauntered over to the stairs.

"Well, I'm heading out," she called back carelessly. "See you tomorrow, hopefully."

"Aren't you going to change?" Matsumoto asked her, sounding confused as she eyed the full dancer's garb. Karin turned her head only slightly, just enough so that the red head could see the wickedly mischevious smirk on her face.

"Nah," she answered casually. "I want him to be able to recognize me _on sight_."

* * *

><p>Well, that was Karin's POV on the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. This was the last of the "background" chapters, so now they get to meet again! Next chapter picks up right where the first left off.<p>

Also, I know it's awful of me, but I might not be able to update again soon. My cousins have come to visit over the break, and I had hoped that I might find _some _time to write. But we haven't seem them in three years since my family moved, so needless to say, my schedule has been pretty packed. There's been some serious reunion-ing going on :) I hope you'll understand (Which I'm sure you will, because you're all awesome people ^^).


	7. Chapter 2

I know this is shorter than the last two chapters, but I think it's actually the average size the chapters are going to be.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.**

* * *

><p>Ukitake and Kyoraku were in a panic as they searched the chaotic crowd for their friend. There was no flash of obnoxiously white hair or glimpse of teal orbs <em>anywhere<em>, and they feared that he had been left in the burning Moroccan-themed restaurant.

"He's about yay big," Kyoraku hurriedly described to a nearby police officer. He put his hand level with his waist – a ridiculously low height.

"So, this is a small child?" the officer questioned, looking extremely worried as he jotted down the description in his notepad.

"Oh, go to Hell, Kyoraku," a frosty voice cut through their exchange. All three men turned to see Toushiro striding towards them, one hand coolly tucked into the pocket of his pants and a fierce glare directed at his friend. Shunsui grinned heartily.

"So, you made it out, you bastard!" he cheerfully called out, thumping Toushiro's back. "Had us worried for nothing."

"We're glad you're safe," Ukitake said with relief, flashing him an encouraging smile. Hitsugaya politely nodded his way.

"Well, then, shall we finally head out?" he asked hurriedly, licking his lips as he headed in the direction of where they had parked their car in the lot. He _really _wanted to get as far away from this place as possible.

"Not so fast," Kyoraku intercepted, pulling him back. "I want to see what ends up of this place."

"You know," Ukitake said thoughtfully, placing a hand on his chin and looking up at the restaurant, "it's rather strange that there's no smoke." Toushiro felt his heart skip a beat.

"Yeah, 'cause it was a stupid and dangerous prank," someone growled menacingly. A fireman dressed in his full gear and with a scowl on his face stalked over to them after hearing what he had said. "Someone pulled the alarm, but there was no damn fire. Idiotic teenage pranksters," he muttered under his breath, and then eyed the three of them warily. "Any of you happen to see who did it?" Hitsugaya shook his head quickly; a little _too _quickly, in his opinion, but nobody seemed to notice.

"I'm sorry, sir," Ukitake apologized. "We were rather busy with our evening."

The fireman growled again, but nodded and stomped off, obviously in a bad mood from the false alarm.

"I wonder who would do that?" Kyoraku speculated. Then, he shrugged casually. "Well, I'm sure the police'll figure it out. I'll just tune into the news tomorrow. Anyway, Toushiro here looks like he's about to have a conniption." He chuckled as he patted his friend's arm. "Let's go."

He and Ukitake headed for the car, chatting easily. Hitsugaya sighed in relief and followed after them gladly, his pocket heavy with the burden of a purple, satin face mask.

**.. ღ ..**

When he finally returned home, Hitsugaya wanted nothing more than a refreshing shower before going to bed. The events of the night had been unexpected and exhausting, to say the least. He was having trouble keeping the memories away when he could still feel her soft lips on his...

Discarding his jacket carelessly on his bed, he headed for the bathroom, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt as he did so. Once shirtless, he approached his sink, turning on each faucet a fair amount. He cupped his hand under the running water to let it pool, and then threw it onto his face, letting the coolness of it relax him as it dripped down his neck. After thoroughly scrubbing his lips, he turned it off.

Next to go were his pants, and soon he was standing under the rushing water of a shower, his eyes closed and his head tilted back. That felt _much _better. When he stepped out, he felt renewed. He slipped on an old pair of sweatpants, and they hung low on his hips, though he made no move to tighten them. Instead, he grabbed a towel and swung it around his neck to catch any drops of water from his hair. Grabbing an end, he carelessly ran it through his hair as he exited into his bedroom with his previously worn clothes, shutting the bathroom door behind him.

Opening the doors to his closet, he procured a clothes hanger and got to work on hanging up his suit. As was his routine, he searched through the pockets of his pants first. His hand hit something soft and smooth, and he yanked it out. A purple, satin cloth.

_She stuck a finger under her mask and tugged it down before she stuck two fingers under his chin, pushed his face up forcefully, and pressed her lips hotly to his._

He groaned as the memory hit again, and wisely set aside the cloth on his bedside table for now, returning to finishing his task. But, suddenly -

"Long time, no see, short stuff."

"Wha –" He jumped and swirled towards the sudden noise. His eyes widened. _"You!"_

It was _her_, the mysterious dancer who had kissed him, the Farukon no Kage. Still dressed in her skimpy dancing gear, she was the picture of ease; he had trouble keeping his eyes off her exposed navel – curse her for being so attractive. She had her elbows placed on the windowsill and was using them to lean back against the wall. One of her legs was crossed in front of the other. Her playful smirk widened at his surprise.

"How sweet of you to remember little ol' me," she crooned sarcastically.

"How did you get in here?" he hissed.

"That large tree out there?" she said, jabbing a thumb behind her to the swaying branches. "Might wanna get rid of it. Any thief could get in with that sucker leading straight to your open window."

"You mean like you?" he growled. She chuckled, not answering.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped, setting a full-scale glare on her.

"Oh, just a friendly visit," she replied airily, and then looked up at him through her lashes. "Do you not want me here?"

"How did you find this place?" he demanded, ignoring her teasing.

"I have my ways," was her vague answer. She raised an eyebrow as she took in his defensive posture; hands fisted, teeth gritted, eyes hardened. Understanding dawned on her face. "_Ah_. So, you know."

"That you're a despicable _thief_?" he spat out. "Yes, I know."

She waved a blithe hand at him. "_'Thief'_ sounds so awful," she said. "I prefer to call myself...a _corrector._"

He scoffed at her. "Of _what, _exactly?" he wanted to know.

"Oh, crimes, blackmailing, con artists," she listed. "The world's full of dishonest, selfish people. It needs people like me to -"

"_Steal _from the innocent?" he suggested harshly. Her eyes flashed.

"Not everyone who looks like a helpless little lamb is _innocent_, Toushiro," she growled. "There might very well be a sly fox under that mask. You should remember that."

"You mean like _you,_" he attacked her. Rather than get angry again, her mouth twisted into a mischievous smirk.

"I see someone's still a bit bitter about our naughty little exchange tonight." She tapped her lips lightly with her index finger. Heat flew to his cheeks immediately.

"You mean your assault," he tried unsuccessfully to fight back. She chuckled.

"Is it really an assault if both parties enjoy it?"

"I didn't kiss back," he insisted.

"Do you have any proof of that?" she challenged him, clearly enjoying herself.

"I have my word," he answered gravely. She shrugged, faking an expression of thought.

"Well, I don't know you that well," she pointed out. "So, how am I supposed to know if your word's any good?"

"I'm not a liar," he snarled.

She pushed back on her arms and used her elbows to swing forward from her lean, uncrossing her legs as she did so. Once her hands were free, she held them up in front of her chest in defense.

"I'm not saying you are," she replied. Her eyes narrowed, studying him. "You look like a pretty smart man, Toushiro; someone of the sciences, maybe? And a scientist always performs his or her experiments multiple times. You know, to get the best results, the most accurate conclusion."

"What are you getting at?" he asked with suspicion.

"I'm saying that maybe we should let science take over for a moment."

He couldn't fathom _how _she did it. One moment, she was across the room, standing by the windowsill, and the next, she had her arms wrapped around his neck loosely, her face only inches away from his.

"You're…pretty fast," was all he could think to say, and he cursed himself for sounding breathless.

"And _you're _not pushing me away," she pointed out. Her face got a little closer.

"Is this why you came here?" he asked, his gaze transfixed on her lips.

"It was definitely the strongest motivator," she admitted. A corner of her lips twitched up just slightly, and he stared at it in fascination. Little by little, she moved one of her hands from his neck down to the waistband of his sweatpants. She slipped a finger underneath the fabric, and slowly, seductively, traced his skin. He shivered pleasantly.

"You're insane," he whispered. "I just met you today, and you stole a necklace from someone."

"I just met you today, too," she replied, grinning, "and you've yet to do anything on par with me."

And after all her teasing, _he _was the one who closed the gap between their mouths. He was just suddenly kissing her, slipping his arms around her bare midriff, and she was kissing back, running her hands up and down his back. She grabbed his towel and yanked it off, tossing it aside without a second thought, and then wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. They broke apart only when necessary.

"I think scientists would agree that the third time's the charm," he gasped out. She didn't answer, only reattached their lips. Well, they "experimented" a third time, then a fourth, and then a fifth. Soon, they lost count after their clothes hit the floor and her bare back hit his bed sheets.

When he woke up the next morning, she was gone, and he realized she had called him _'Toushiro,' _though he had never once told her his name.

**.. ღ ..**

When he dragged himself into work later that morning, the police station was hectic.

"- another robbery last night."

"Farukon no Kage...?"

"The chief says there're no leads!"

Ignoring all the commotion, he headed straight for his office, closing the door behind him. All the noise was instantly blocked out, and, sighing with relief, he collapsed into his chair behind his desk. After a moment of just resting, he finally shifted, reaching his hand into the pocket of his suit and pulling out its only content – the face mask. It had been haunting him since last night.

He just stared at the cloth for a moment. Looking at it brought back the memories of the previous night, when he had crossed the line with one of the most wanted criminals in the police department's database. What was worse – and he was sure of it now – he was truly attracted to her. Placing his head in his hands, he groaned.

He couldn't deny that he had enjoyed himself. He had, _immensely. _But that had been hours ago, when he had been lost in the wild passion and excitement of the day's events. The gravity of the situation was only just starting to hit.

He had spent the night with a thief. Worse yet, he knew not her age, nor her name, nor her history. What had he been thinking? All those years of discipline and emotional detachment, and he had been putty in her hands!

And a more serious problem: How exactly had she come across both his name and address only moments after a brief encounter? He was always very particular about his privacy, being careful not to divulge the whereabouts of his home to just anyone. Whoever this Farukon no Kage was, she had the skills and the technology to go far.

And the worst of them all: This face mask of hers, which was pressed against his face, smelled just too damn good!

Scowling, he quickly pocketed it once again. It wasn't helping to brood like this. He was a successful detective, for Pete's sake. He had solved mysteries more gruesome than her before. He _would _figure her out.

A knock on the door interrupted his fiery decision, and when the door opened, a police officer peeked in.

"Hitsugaya-san? Oh, good. You're in. The chief would like to speak with you."

A deep feeling of dread formed in his stomach as he followed the man to the chief's office with an inkling of what this talk would be about. He knocked respectfully once he arrived and entered once he heard a call of admittance.

"Chief Soi-Fon." He bowed in esteem upon entering, and then he took a seat across the desk.

"Hitsugaya," she said, propping up her arms on the desk and locking her fingers together. Her eyes were blazing angrily. "We're in a pinch, so I'm gonna get right to it. I'm sure you've heard of the Farukon no Kage." He jolted slightly as his thoughts were confirmed. "We've tried our best to keep it down about this and catch Kage with our own police force, but it looks like it's not gonna be possible." She sighed deeply in aggravation. "I didn't want to have to do this, but I've got no choice but to turn to you."

She looked at him with conviction. "I'm giving this case to you. Catch this menace, figure out who they are, bring them to justice. I want them gone. They're causing disturbances, making the police look bad, and frankly, it's pissing me off that they're so good at it." She curled her hand into a fist. "Even with those tips, we're never fast enough to match up. So, I'm changing from the overly offensive route. Figure out _who _they are, or where they live. It's better than this goose chase Kage keeps leading us into."

She looked at him seriously. "Will you take this case?"

He sighed, left with no choice, lest he raise suspision. "Yes."

...

Back in his office, he returned to groaning into his hands. The start of a day, and he had already agreed to such a confusing case. This would be difficult, especially with his own feelings mixed in. Because he _already _knew what Kage looked like, had seen her in action, had gone over the top with her. But he still knew nothing about her, and her appearance alone wouldn't be enough to find her in a city so large. And after just that one night, he was unsure about whether he could capture such a witty and talented person.

The distraction of his phone was welcome. Kyoraku was not.

"Did you see? Did you see!" he hollered in excitement. Nanao's scolding in the background was ignored. "They're saying it _was _Farukon no Kage who pulled the fire alarm. I can't believe this! We were _there, _Hitsugaya, in the same room with a thief. Oh, but you can probably say that fifty times, huh? But, it was still cool. I wonder who it was? Do you...do you think it was the waitress?"

"Kyoraku," he finally cut off his babbling and conspiracy theories. "I don't have time for this. I have work to do."

"A new case?" he asked with sudden interest.

"Yes." After a moment's hesitation, he added, "The Kage case."

"_You're kidding!_ That's amazing. _You're _gonna catch him...or her?"

"That's the plan," he said with gritted teeth, regretting his desicion to tell him. His ear was ringing. "Look, I don't have time. The chief wants to hold a press conference in a few minutes about this. We're just waiting for the reporters now, so I have to go."

"Just a minute," Kyoraku spoke up. "I had another reason to call. Takeda contacted me."

Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows in interest. Takeda had been a police officer in this branch a few years back. He and Hitsugaya had gotten along well, and he'd made friends with Kyoraku and Ukitake, too. After getting promoted to the chief of police in another district, he had moved out east and made it big, getting wealthy from his job. They hardly saw each other now because of the distance, but he still considered Takeda a friend.

"He's having a party soon, and he wanted to know if you got your invite?"

"I didn't think to check my mail this morning," he admitted. He had found his mind a little too preoccupied with thoughts of a certain raven-haired vixen.

"Well, he says he wants you there, so make sure you check, all right?

"Of course. Are you going?"

"No," Kyoraku whimpered, and he could just guess that he was pouting. "Nanao caught me drinking in the office again and gave me double the amount of work, so I can't. Ukitake has a doctor's appointment, so he can't make it either. Say hi to Takeda for us, all right?"

"All right," he promised.

As they hung up, an officer suddenly knocked on his door again, sticking his face in a few moments later.

"The press is here," he informed him, and Hitsugaya nodded.

"Coming." When the door was shut, he pulled out the face mask again. Giving it one last glare to steel himself, he stuffed it away and strode out to meet the media, wondering if Kage would be watching him.

**.. ღ ..**

Karin walked into the dining room humming, a beam plastered on her face. The residents of her home watched her in bemusement, unsure of this sudden mood swing from the usual. Matsumoto groaned pathetically, looking up at her with a nastily green face.

"Abuse the alcohol last night?" Karin asked with a chuckle. She nodded before resting her head back onto the table. Others beside her were also looking pretty drained, and Karin could only assume they were the poor chumps she had convinced to join her last night. "How about some tea?" she suggested. A unanimous head nod was her answer.

She floated over to the stove, reaching for the kettle in the cupboard above. Everyone watched her in awe; she always _hated _working in the kitchen, no matter what the job.

"What exactly did _you _do last night that's got you in such a good mood?" Ikkaku asked in shock. Matsumoto mustered the strength to snicker loudly, and heads swirled in her direction.

"Asking a woman that question probably isn't going to get you an answer you want to hear," she said. Renji made a horrible face.

"You're right," he grumbled. "I did _not _need to know that." Ikkaku still looked thoroughly confused.

"Well, what's new with everyone else?" Karin asked quickly, afraid that he would ask her to explain. She was not in the mood to divulge to her almost family that she had spent the most _fabulous_ night with a hunk of a man, who had looked so adorable snoring when she had left out the window that morning, as the strand of his hair that hung over his eyes had been flying up and down with his breathing. She hadn't really wanted to leave, but staying would have been too dangerous. At least she had last night as a memory.

The television caught their attention instead. A reporter stood in front of the police station, talking animatedly to the camera. But what caught Karin's attention were the people behind her. A small, black-haired woman with a serious face stood at a podium, answering the questions of a crowd of journalists; it was the chief of police she knew only too well. But her gaze was transfixed on the stoic, white-haired man beside her. He looked eerily familiar...

"Turn it up," she ordered, and Renji complied, ignoring the wailings of the hung over ones.

"...after the robbery that took place in a small Morrocan-themed retaurant in the southern area of the city," the reporter was saying. "The police disclosed that they had indeed been aware of the robbery, having received the signature notice beforehand, but kept quiet in an attempt to capture the suspect with ease."

"Are they talking about you?" Rangiku asked with interest, and she nodded, still staring at Toushiro as he anwered a question this time.

"After many failed attempts in the case, chief of police Soi-Fon enlisted the help of private detective Hitsugaya Toushiro, whose success rate of one hundred percent makes him a prime candidate for the one who may finally capture the ever elusive Farukon no Kage."

The camera then zoomed into the press conference.

"Hitsugaya has been given every liberty possible to help him with the task," the black-haired woman was saying. "We hope that by giving him this case, we can depend on his investigative abilities and finally determine the identity or whereabouts of Kage, inevitably leading up to his or her capture." A cheer rang out, along with camera flashes.

"A word from Hitsugaya-san?" a voice from the crowd shouted out. He sighed as he leaned towards the microphone.

"To the best of my abilities, I promise that capturing Kage will be my number one priority," he said dully. "The police force only turns to me in the most serious cases, and I always handle them as professionally as possible. This one, I can be sure, will not be any different."

Renji muted the television, turning towards Karin with a grin.

"That guy said he's gonna capture you," he said with a snicker. "Scared?"

"Of course not," she said flippantly, turning to the stove. _'That guy's a __**detective**_**? **_Oh, great. I really know how to pick 'em, huh?' _She suddenly grinned. _'Well, at least things'll be helluva lot more interesting from now on!'_

"Well, we'll unfortunately be giving him a lot more chances," Kira said gravely.

"What do you mean?"

"New job," Hisagi grunted. Her eyebrows quirked up in interest, and she turned from the boiling water to face him.

"Already?" she asked in wonder. "I just had one yesterday."

"Well, I guess robberies are in season right now," he joked, and everyone chuckled. With their line of work, jokes about thefts were common and hilarious, no matter how serious the issue. "But, seriously, though. It's gonna be tough, what with that detective out to get you now."

"Oh, I think I can take him," she replied with a smirk.

Hisagi eyed her strangely before shrugging. "Well, if you say so."

Apparently, an antique collector in the area had come into possession of an ancient, priceless medallion, and she'd wasted no time in flaunting it. The real owners, who'd kept the medallion private in hopes of keeping it safe but had let it slip at a party, hadn't wasted a moment in coming to Kira with their dilemma, who'd assured them that the crime would be corrected.

"It's another one of those cases where it was passed down through the family," Kira explained. "That's why they have no proof it originally belonged to them, so they can't take it back so easily."

"That's where I come in," Karin said, beaming. "This'll be a piece of cake."

"Careful, though," Renji piped up. "You've got a new opponent."

He jerked his head towards the muted television, and they all watched as it zoomed into Hitsugaya's stoic face. Karin smirked as she gazed at it, pausing the screen after snatching the remote.

He would be no challenge. After spending a night with him, she'd come to learn that though he _looked _so serious and straight-laced, he could make just the most wonderful expressions. He had emotions, and she was sure that meant he wasn't unbeatable. He'd crumbled so easily under her touch, after all. He had weaknesses, and she wasn't above using them to her advantage if it was for justice. So, she shrugged airily towards her apprehensive family.

"Like I said," she mumbled, peering straight into Hitsugaya's icy eyes, frozen on the screen, "I can take him."

* * *

><p>Yay for flirting with science! I <em>totally <em>had to resist typing, "I'm saying that maybe we should let science take over for a moment, because you and I have got some chemistry." :D

Some of you noticed that I've made Karin different and a little more of a playful character. But this is her grown up, after living through a completely different childhood than in the manga/anime, so she changed along with that. Plus, she had Matsumoto's and the guys' influence to grow up with. At least it makes the interactions a little more fun :)


	8. Chapter 3

I am so, _so _sorry, everyone, but I have bad news. Since I have so many stories in-progress right now, it's getting really hard to update everything. So, to lessen some of the pressure, I've decided to _**discontinue**_ this story. Once again, I'm sorry. I hope you at least enjoy this one last chapter :(

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.**

* * *

><p>"Hitsugaya-san?" A stuttering police officer came over to the detective, and he coolly lifted an eyebrow questioningly. "The chief of police just called. She'd like to know if everything is ready for Kage."<p>

"Tell her we won't know that unless this works," he replied icily. The officer gulped at the thought of relaying such a vague message to their hot-headed chief, but nodded and scurried off anyway. Little did Hitsugaya know, Soi-Fon was rather hoping for such an answer, to be sure he wouldn't squander the plan with over-confidence and cockiness.

The detective, however, was on edge. This would be his first encounter with Kage since..._that _happened between them. It had rather soured his mood that, only days after their encounter and his announcement of the case, Kage had decided to steal a medallion from an antique collector. But he was a professional. He'd set his own feelings aside to take over this case, and now he was testing his self-control. If Kage refused to let their tryst bother her, he'd be damned if _he _did. Instead, he focused that passionate irritability into the case, determined not to let his reputation drop just for one woman.

Though he couldn't say he really looked forward to helping out their employer. She was a rather shady woman, not one to practice any decorum or self-control. It bothered him that she seemed so unconcerned about the medallion itself; it would make more sense, after all, that she would show nothing but despair at the thought of losing what she claimed was a family heirloom. But instead, she only seemed fascinated by the officers crowding her home, excitedly showing off her collection of antiques to anyone who would listen or sipping from a bottle of fine wine. And not just once, he'd found himself at the receiving end of what could only be described as attempts at flirtatious eyes, which he'd graciously pretended to never have seen in the first place.

_'Kage's eyes are prettier,' _he found himself thinking, and then he promptly berated himself for letting his mind wander to such dangerous territory. Kage was a thing of the past, and from now on, she would be nothing more than a lethal job. At least, that's what he attempted to reassure himself. And to keep his thoughts clean and focused on what mattered, he barked orders at the police force under his command, turning down the future victim's advances with as much respect as he could manage.

His job, though simple, actually happened to be the most important of anyone else's. He was to observe the scene, to watch the crime occur before his eyes, and to chart Kage's patterns and movements to the best of his ability. The chief was determined to learn her tactics and find some way to counter them. Hitsugaya's astute observation skills, which allowed him to pick up even the tiniest details, played the most key role in completing his assignment.

But it didn't sit well with him to idly watch as someone was robbed before him. He promised himself that, if a chance arose to halt Kage in her tracks and save the medallion, even _if_ it meant losing the suspect, he would take it without a doubt – no matter _what_ the chief wanted from him; Hitsugaya had never believed in something as selfish as bait. So he was determined to set aside his personal feelings and follow through with his commitment.

Night arrived too quickly for many of the officers' liking, and many exchanged nervous glances at the idea of losing to Kage yet again. Only Hitsugaya calmly leaned against a wall in the back corner of the room, his eyes closed for now to help him keep rightly calm and serene, though he maintained a sharpness in his ears. The medallion's owner was tipsy from the wine, and she continued to constantly moan about how ill her stomach suddenly felt, though most everyone ignored the complaining. Eventually, she passed out, setting in great relief for everyone in the vicinity. It was while Hitsugaya was thanking Kami for shutting the woman up that the same stuttering officer from before approached him nervously.

"H-Hitsugaya-san," she stammered, wringing her hands and flitting her green eyes left and right. At his raised eyebrow, she managed to say, "The chief of police just called again. She wants to try switching the medallion for a decoy." His eyes hardened at the words, causing the poor woman to shrink back and let out a short squeal of fright.

"Tell _the chief_," he spat out, "that if a decoy never stopped Kage in the past, it certainly isn't going to _now_. Does she really expect different results after trying the same thing over and over again?"

The officer trembled under his fierce tone as he marveled at the force's naivety, and she squeaked out an explanation. "She just doesn't want to put the real medallion in danger. It might not stop Kage, but it also puts the artifact under less risk." She acted so pathetically frightened just by facing someone on her own team that he wondered with incredulity how she had ended up working in such a tough career. But Hitsugaya also remembered his own disgust at the idea of using something precious just for one's own benefit, so he sighed heavily, pushing himself away from the wall.

"I've got the key," he told her, beckoning that she follow him towards the center of the room, where the ancient artifact had been placed inside a top-notch safe, with officers surrounding it from every angle. Many grunted in respect as they parted to make way for him, barely glancing at the stumbling woman behind him with how timid she was acting. He swiftly pulled the key from his trouser's pocket, slipped it into the keyhole, and unlocked the safe, satisfied when it let out a soft _thunk _when the key fell into place. He swung the door open, ignoring the slight _creak _as the metal rubbed together, and gingerly pulled out the medallion. The officer held up a shaking hand for it, but he hesitated.

"And where are you taking it?" he asked suspiciously, keenly aware not to trust just anyone with the task of holding such an important possession.

"The chief sent a decoy herself," she let out in a low, hushed voice. Being soft-spoken fit her character extremely well, though the obviously feminine high pitch grated his nerves. "I'll just switch the two in the next room and hide this one where she told me to."

"And where is that?" he demanded, letting his paranoia wash away just slightly at the blatant truth in both her voice and gaze. Even so, he was an overly careful man and proud of it.

The woman scanned the room quickly, as if Kage herself was listening in on them at the moment, before she stood on the tips of her toes and whispered in his ear, "There's a safe in the woman's bedroom, in her closet."

There was something about her voice just then that caused a pleasant shiver to run up his spine. He attributed it to the fact that her voice dropped several octaves when she spoke in such a hush, because there was a very pleasant quality to it when she did so. He mentally shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts, because obviously her _true _voice was still that high one rather than the more husky one he was hearing now. Still in a rather stupefied state from the sudden thrill, he handed the medallion to her in a slight daze, cautiously making sure none of the other officers witnessed the exchange; keeping less people in the know-how was always a wise move.

"Do you need someone to go with you?" he asked just as softly now, eyeing some of the men to decide which seemed the most trustworthy and could protect her. He knew Kage would never _hurt _someone intentionally – even everyone at the Moroccan restaurant had turned out to be perfectly fine – but more people meant more brain power in the case of an emergency.

She shook her head furiously, blushing at how much attention and thought he seemed to be giving her. "N-no," she negated, unable to meet his eyes. "Who would ever think someone like _me _would have it, anyway? And the room is just down the hall, so I'm sure I'll be fine." He pursed his lips as he assessed her, finding that her words were indeed true; she trembled so viciously that no one would ever think to entrust her with anything (though that wasn't exactly reassuring on his part), and she seemed so genuinely afraid of everything under the sun that no one _would _suspect her. So he nodded curtly once, giving her his approval to carry out the switch. She beamed, gave a spirited salute, and ran out immediately.

He casually shut the safe once again and returned to leaning against his wall, noticing how none of the officers seemed to have realized that the target had been removed from their immediate proximity. It caused him to shake his head slightly at how ignorant they seemed; they would never catch Kage this way. Though he supposed the chief had known that all too well, and that was why she had turned to him, which she only did during emergencies if she could help it. He had an inkling that she took a sharp blow to her pride when she had to ask for services, as if her own team was unable to match up to him. It was _true_, though, he thought with secret superiority. He took his work more seriously than any other man on the planet, except maybe for Kuchiki Byakuya, which meant his success rate would always far exceed such blithe workers. He hoped such a reputation would make his cherished past mentor proud of him.

As he allowed himself to linger on some of his more pleasant memories of tagging along on cases with the detective, it dawned on him slowly that the female officer was taking quite long to return with the decoy medallion. Hadn't she said that the room was right down the hall and that the fake had already been delivered? A nauseating feeling twisted his stomach as he confirmed that, yes, she _should _have returned by now. Visions of Kage, as well as her coy smile and sly movements, raced through his mind, and he felt fear constrict his throat. Not letting any of his panic show on his face, he rushed out with dignity so none of the others would notice anything wrong with him; he would never trust any of them to watch his back, anyway. When he was safely out of their sight, he sprinted down the hall towards the one door he could see, his breath ragged and his heart racing. As he skidded to a halt beside it, he didn't even bother pausing at the doorway. His hand lurched out and twisted the doorknob as he barreled through the door, pausing at the frame as he breathed heavily, his chest heaving. His eyes widened at the scene before him.

It was Kage. Dressed in a tight spandex suit, which cut off mid-arm and mid-leg, and whose black coloring no doubt meant to conceal her in the cover of the dark, she was poised to jump out the window, her hands resting on the frame and her legs bent to leap; he cursed himself for still thinking she was so very attractive, and exceptionally sexy in such tight clothing. When she heard the door slam open, her head whipped around to face him, and he noticed the way her charcoal hair was up in a tight bun and how her eyes were suddenly _green_. But the sight that really delivered a sharp blow to his gut was the medallion, clutched tightly in her hand.

Her mouth, previously open slightly in shock, immediately twisted into a sly smirk when she recognized him. "A little late to the party, aren't you?" she goaded him. The sound of her voice, so familiar, snapped him out of his shocked trance.

"When did you get here?" he hissed, and his eyes darted around the room, noticing the lack of someone. "Where's the female officer I sent in here?"

The grin on her face grew at his words. "_Ah, _so you're a little late on the uptake, too," she teased. When he only sent her a bewildered glare, she rolled her eyes and jumped off the ledge to properly face him. Adopting a look of timidity and a feminine voice, she stuttered, "D-don't you get it yet, H-Hitsugaya-san?"

And she jerked her head towards the floor, drawing his attention to a small pile of clothes. He felt his heart jolt as he recognized a female police uniform, discarded carelessly so Kage could have stripped down to the body suit she was wearing now. On top of the uniform laid what could only be a blonde wig, the same shade as the woman he had trusted with the target. So Kage had been with him all this time, flushing under his gaze and whispering in his ear; no wonder her true voice, slightly uncovered when she spoke in a hush, gave him such pleasant chills.

As he glowered at the pile on the floor, she sauntered over to him, perfectly relaxed in his presence, even when she had just been caught in the middle of a crime. Besides, she honestly felt bad for tricking him like that. Especially since the green colored contacts she had put in her eyes were driving her crazy, itching so badly; she couldn't wait to take them out once she returned home. Plus, it didn't help that he had acted so adorable tonight, pretending to be a stoic man who didn't give a damn about anything as he leaned against a wall in that _macho _way. And being so close to him once more had churned those passionate feelings in her again, just like the ones that had led her to track him down that first night.

As she thought back to that wonderful encounter with him, he took notice of how close she was stepping towards his figure, and the action strangely infuriated him. Shouldn't she at least have become cautious around him, now that he was pursuing her? Perhaps that was what caused the uncharacteristic outburst.

"Don't you know who I _am?_" he asked in disbelief, narrowing his eyes down at her. It caused her to pause right before him, taken aback before she beamed.

"Sure I do!" And with a saucy smile, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. He flinched back, but she took no offense or meaning to it. Instead, she nudged his side with her elbow playfully and joked, "Congrats on the new case, by the way. It's a big one."

"You're making fun of me," he accused her instantly with a snarl, taking her teasing to mean that she took him too lightly. "Underestimating me."

She blinked up at him, aghast that he could ever believe she would think such a thing. "Of course not!" she denied immediately, and the pure honesty ringing in her voice caused him to relax just slightly. With a friendly grin, she said, "I just think this could be something really interesting."

He raised his eyebrows at her words, but before he could think of a retort, they both heard some officers from down the hall calling out for him, wondering where he was and whether he needed any sort of help from them. Kage smirked as he sighed in exasperation at their paranoia, but she also seemed to take that as her cue to leave. She backed away with that same teasing smile still planted firmly on her face, and he didn't even have time to think of stopping her before she was all the way across the room, her exit route right behind her.

"I've gotta go," she whispered to him, hopping onto the window ledge again. Before jumping out, she turned back and held up her hand, flashing him the medallion still in her grasp. "And I'll take _this _to teach you never to trust others so easily again."

As she finally leaped away gracefully, he noticed a white feather lying on top of her discarded wig.

**.. ღ ..**

Over the next few months, he rigorously researched Kage and any leads he could find on her. He passed off the medallion by claiming she had stolen it while they had all been in the room, using one of those sly tactics of hers that had kept her identity secret all this time. Though the chief had been furious, he'd refused to divulge any other information to her, pretending that he had never had a second encounter with the master thief, and had kept her disguise for himself. He preferred working alone, after all, and keeping information to himself before he could properly analyze it together would be the most efficient way for him to finally solve the case.

Many more criminal incidents passed. If it wasn't a museum, it was a wealthy individual, or an antique shop downtown, or an art gallery. Each time, the tips would circulate around the station, and Hitsugaya would be called in to investigate along with the force. And each time, to his frustration, Kage would find some way to get him alone and goad him with the target she had so easily stolen right under his nose. It fueled his drive to discover her greatly, though he found to his astonishment that he could never find anything worth remembering as evidence. She was just too damn good.

Once, he attempted to track down the person who first spread those peculiarly accurate rumors of her next crime spot. Surely this person had figured out some rhyme or rhythm to Kage's patterns and targets, and such information would be a large step in the right direction for him. But this person was apparently untraceable. To his confusion, he learned that these hot tips never seemed to originate from one single place; everyone just began buzzing about them one day, from larger stations in the cities to insignificant ones by the small towns, and no one could ever remember where the chain began. And so his lead ended up falling apart quite easily, resulting in many sleepless nights for the detective.

He also rummaged through the disguise he had kept, coming up empty-handed, as he had suspected he would. Even the wig gave no results, as he found no hair samples when he personally analyzed it himself. The underside of the hair was covered in extremely thin, intricate netting, which seemed to serve as some sort of prevention for hair getting pulled out and sticking to the wig. The clothes provided him with no new clues or leads either.

In the end, he was left with no choice but to simply wait for an opportunity during the next crime, when he could observe her once again. It was a realization he came to behind his desk at the station, and he was fueled with determination to watch her more closely than ever. Even so, he knew none of the more important figures in the police force would appreciate his conclusion. Chief Soi-Fon was a prime example, as she grew more irritated each time Kage succeeded without a break in the case. Hitsugaya might have been the type of man who could be patient when it counted, but he was also well aware that not everyone had been blessed with such a logical temperament.

As if to prove his point, there was a sudden knock on the door, and a lesser officer stuck his head in when he allowed entry. "Chief would like a word with you," he informed the investigator.

With a deep sigh, he assented to the message by forcing himself out of the chair he was seated on. He couldn't say that this conversation surprised him; she had been growing edgy with him for quite some time now, since he'd stopped producing any results for his detective work, but he found himself unwilling to share anything he had learned so far. In actuality, he wasn't quite sure what was prompting him to keep so many secrets from the force that had employed him in the first place. But he also admitted that those encounters with Kage had been private, something only to be kept between him and her, as well as buried and locked away for as long as possible. So, thinking of his decision and the no-nonsense chief, he readied himself for the third degree when he finally knocked on her door.

"Enter," she called, and he grimaced at how gruff and obviously unhappy she sounded already. But he wiped his face clean of any expression as he entered, giving a respectful bow as he'd been taught to do, despite the situation. Soi-Fon didn't seem to appreciate his thoughtful show of manners, because her face soured even more.

"Hitsugaya-san," she said professionally, settling into her seat as he took the one across from her. Nothing but business-like, she squared her shoulders as she sized him up, though the look had no such effect on him. "Well, I don't know if you've been keeping track of your calendar, but it's been four months since you were given the Kage case," she began. He gave a nod of agreement, so she flipped open a file before her and scanned her eyes over it. "In that time, there have been..._twenty-six _Kage incidents." Her eyes darkened abruptly as she glowered at the folder. "And we've _lost _each one!"

He nodded again, very cool and collected. "I'm aware," he answered, causing her glare to intensify.

"Then why has there been no progress on your case?" she snapped at him. "You haven't presented one report on anything concerning Kage, and you've been given plenty of opportunities to already. What have you been doing, if not observing?"

He thought back to all of his private moments with the thief, but shook them out of his head soon after. Instead, he frostily replied, "My work is only for me to know. I will present a report when I feel it's ready to be seen by others."

She narrowed her eyes at his haughtiness. "And when exactly will it be ready?"

He shrugged. "When I say so."

"That won't do, Hitsugaya," she spat out at him. "I need to see progress from you now, or I'll be taking you off this case. There's no need for you if you can't even complete your job properly."

He shook his head coolly, calling her out on her bluff. "You won't fire me," he shot back. "I my not be getting you results as fast as you want them, but your team isn't either." He knew he had her cornered, because neither could deny the truth behind his words. The police force had never managed to catch Kage as of yet, and he was a last resort. If she was turning to him, then she sure as hell couldn't afford to lose her final weapon. And that was why she couldn't think of an answer to his attack. Even so, he felt that his employer did deserve an explanation, so he added, "We both know how I work by now. I hand in reports when I find that it will actually be helpful to do so. If I haven't found anything I think is worth publicizing yet, then writing up a file is just a waste of time for both of us – time we _could _be using to plan ahead or do our actual jobs."

She sighed in aggravation at his logic, but both knew from history that he would most likely win this argument. From the beginning, he had been given free-range on how to conduct his work, and she stayed out of his cases except for when necessary; their contract was a loose one. After working together for years, both had become accustomed to the other's needs, and she knew that there was no way she could needle the information out of him. But if there was anything she had learned over time, it was that Hitsugaya was undoubtedly dependable and always came through. So she decided to let him go free for now, until there was no escaping her harsh calls.

"And you say you've been doing your job all this time?" she asked suspiciously, thinking back to the beginning of their meeting.

He nodded seriously, relieved that she seemed to be letting up. "Of course. I've learned something from each case. Now it's just a matter of piecing it together to solve the puzzle. But until then, my thoughts remain my own."

She sealed the deal with a curt nod, silently agreeing to grant him his liberties for a longer time. Appeased by his answer, she leaned back in her chair, folding her fingers, and dismissed him by jerking her head towards the door.

Toushiro inwardly breathed out in relief at the lack of consequence. It was never a good idea to test the hot-tempered chief, but the two had butted heads quite a few times over the years. At least he'd learned how to calm her with his words. He'd also learned when not to push his luck, so he bowed quickly with his head and made a beeline for the door after his dismissal. Just before he could make an escape, however, a sudden thought dawned on him, and he turned back.

Soi-Fon raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?" she questioned his action.

"I have a previous engagement I forgot to mention," he explained stoically, thankful that he had remembered Takeda's party at the last second. "My apologies for the short notice. One of the officers in another district requested my presence, but it's so far that I would need time to drive over."

"Are you asking for a day of leave?" she bluntly summarized, rolling her eyes. He bobbed his head, and she put a finger to her chin in thought. It wasn't as if they needed him around every second of the day. Her police force could function very well without just one man, thank you very much. So she waved a hand airily in assent and simply asked, "When?"

"Tomorrow."

**.. ღ ..**

Meanwhile, Karin was having the some of the best months of her life facing off against Toushiro.

There was just something about that man, something rugged and handsome and charming, that made her wish to see him again and again. And she did during her recoveries, which was why she anticipated them so much more nowadays. There was a thrill that passed through her when she neared the target, knowing that he would be there, watching her every move so closely with that cool gaze of his. When she managed to snag moments alone with him, subtly flirting back and forth, it even made her wonder what it would be like to see him outside those precious few moments of recovery.

But those were dangerous thoughts, and her family would freak if they ever found out what she was thinking, so she locked them away when she was with them. Perhaps that was why they were so comfortable with giving her so many missions, trusting her with the most important aspect of their life. She always made sure to successfully carry out her job efficiently and quickly, making room for a face-off with Hitsugaya each time before returning to her anxiously awaiting family members. And as long as their interactions were kept private, she could keep Hitsugaya for herself.

And that was the exact thought running through her mind when another recovery was presented to her. She'd just gotten up from bed, stretching lazily as she wandered into the kitchen and ran her hand through her bed head, when Hisagi and Kira wandered in, both uncharacteristically more somber. Tucked under Kira's arm was a thick, manila folder.

"Is that what I think it is?" Matsumoto asked, eyeing the file wearily. She was hunched over a sake bottle at the table, heavy bags under her eyes from the after effects of all the heavy drinking.

Hisagi sighed at her question, the exaggerated action jostling his shoulders as he nodded in reply. "Afraid so," was his gruff answer. "A last minute recovery."

All eyes in the room swerved towards Karin, who was carefully buttering her toast. When she felt stares boring into her, she looked up and shrugged noncommittally, as if to give assent to her participation. It wasn't if this was anything new, and she was surprised they had even bothered to ask for silent permission; wasn't it a given that she would go? Kira nodded seriously at her answer before addressing everyone gathered in the room.

"A couple came to see me earlier today," he explained to the group. "They asked if we wouldn't mind doing a rush job for them. They flew in from out of the country, you see, so the delay is understandable. They're having a bit of trouble with someone near here."

"Someone important?" Karin suddenly asked, lazily reaching for the pitcher of juice on the table and picking through a group of cups to find her own.

He nodded gravely. "Very. Someone from the police department."

She stumbled with the cups. "You're kidding!" He only shook his head gravely. She did too, in disappointment, and clucked her tongue against the inside of her cheek. "What a twisted world we live in if even the good guys are going bad."

"Yeah, well, anyone can go bad," he muttered darkly. Groaning a little as he shuffled with the folder resting in his lap, he divulged a photo and handed it to her. It was of an absolutely breathtaking painting of a horizon over the sea during sunset. She whistled in admiration as she eyed it.

"Killer expensive painting," Hisagi took the liberty to elaborate. "Bought five weeks ago from an art store in Milan by a collector who happens to be a chief of police in the eastern area. The money went straight to the funds for a museum sponsored by the store."

"What's wrong with that?" she asked, shrugging at the seemingly harmless story.

"Nothing, until they tried to use it two weeks ago." This time, he pulled out a stack of bills paper-clipped together and handed them to her. "He used these." She didn't even have to look them over as instinct kicked in.

"Counterfeit?" she guessed, looking disgusted. He nodded solemnly, mirroring her distaste. The others in the room who had been listening grumbled in outrage, too.

"This wasn't the only time he used fake bills, either," he added. "I did a background check on the guy. He buys all his art with counterfeit money, and if anybody opposes him, he uses his power on the force to threaten them. So no one ever has gone against him before, except for these store owners in Milan."

"They flew in last week," Kira explained softly. "They tried appealing to him, thinking it was a mistake, but he had them thrown out. Not before a threat, of course. I heard them talking about it in a café, so I convinced them to hire us."

Karin looked up with a devious smirk. "Okay. I think the only question here is, what were _you _doing in a _café ?_" He flushed at the snickers surrounding him, mumbling something about a date.

"_Anyway,_" Hisagi pressed on, thinning his smiling lips into a serious line, "the guy's holding a party for all his police buddies. You know, show off his fake wealth and stolen goods. Classic creep move. Yamamoto-san got an invite and gave it to us. Also managed to snag us another from his second-in-command, who's not going. Luckily, the guy's too _busy _and _pompous _to make personal invitations, so there're no names on 'em."

"Why me?" Karin asked then, not really against going but just wondering why she had been chosen. "Can't anyone else -"

"Not me," Matsumoto cut in from her place. "You know I can't go to a party without cutting loose and getting drunk. I don't need all that temptation around me, or I won't be able to do the job."

"And we also think it would be a little less suspicious if we send a man and a woman, to make it seem like a couple," Kira explained. "But Kiyone's too busy with work, since her boss never lets her off these days. And you know Isane's not a mission gal. Neither is Nemu, especially since her father would never let her."

"So that leaves me," Karin finished, nodding in understanding. "Who's going with me?" All the men in the room straightened up, as if giving her an array of choices.

But Hisagi said, "Me." She nodded over to him, unaffected either way.

"He's the smoothest talker and good at causing distractions," Kira explained carefully. Hisagi looked unsure whether he should be proud of such achievements. "He can make up excuses for you while you get the target."

"And are we just getting the painting?" She gazed at all of them hopefully, prepared to go the extra distance and recover everything. Everyone looked away, however, suddenly downcast.

Hisagi sighed. "Unfortunately. I'd like to get them _all, _if it was possible, but it would attract too much attention and take too much time. We can't be seen, after all, so we have to stick with those people that came to us directly for help, which means the painting's the priority. I'm sure we can convince Yamamoto-san to have someone investigate him by the police later, to find out his crimes."

She nodded in agreement at the plan. "All right." Before turning back to her task of getting juice, one last thought suddenly hit her. She placed a hand on her chin, asking a question that made both men cringe horribly. "When is this party, anyway?"

"Tomorrow."

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><p>To anyone who read my author's note at the top: <em>April Fool's! <em>I was totally kidding; there's no way I would discontinue this when things are just getting interesting! That would just be cruel. But did I manage to trick you/freak you out? :D (And was that prank too mean? ^_^').

Anyway, now that you know that I am _not _abandoning this story, what did you guys think of this chapter? As you can see, there's definitely some fun for the two of them up ahead!


	9. Chapter 4

I finished this around the same time I finished the last chapter. I really didn't plan on putting it up yet, since I have a pattern to updating my stories, but I figured you guys deserved it after I freaked you out with my prank. :P Sorry, guys! I hope this makes you feel better.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.**

* * *

><p>The plan was to get out as fast as possible.<p>

Takeda's party would no doubt be littered with members of the force, and with so many officers of the law around, no one felt at ease. Rangiku and Karin agreed that the busty woman would call her at exactly thirteen minutes after nine, choosing a strange time so as not to raise any suspicions. At that point, she would slip out to a quiet hallway to "talk with her mother." Hisagi would proceed to make excuses for his date's absence until he received a text from her, informing him of the completion of her recovery. He would then slip out, claiming she needed to be driven home for a family emergency, and the two would feign innocence as they stealthily left the compound. It seemed a simple plan, sure to be successful because they kept the surpises to a minimum.

No one expected an unplanned hindrance as big as the one they received, because no one had expected the presence of one Hitsugaya Toushiro.

As usual, Yamamoto started a rumor that the painting would be stolen that day, but the man did not confess as they always hoped the victim would. Instead, once Karin and Hisagi had covered themselves in Rin and Nemu's special cream and arrived at the party, security had been quadrupled; rows of men with guns stood stoically across the front yard, and another guard was suspiciously pouring over invites to ensure no uninvited guests attempted to sneak their way in.

"Damn, this guy went all out," Karin observed with raised eyebrows as she eyed the men. With a cluck of her tongue, she ventured, "I wonder if he paid _them _with counterfeit money, too."

Hisagi gritted his teeth. "I wouldn't doubt it," he grumbled before offering her his arm to escort her to the front entrance. She took it with a soft smile up at him, allowing him to guide her to their first obstacle – the front entrance. The two, however, were free of any troubles as they flashed the guard checking invitations their own cards and proved them to be authentic. He allowed them entry immediately, throwing them a small smile as they walked on before looking intimidating again for the next group.

They found one another fairly quickly. Hitsugaya had just finished politely greeting Takeda when he turned to face the entrance, and there she was. She was dressed in a strapless, ankle-length, black dress and had her arm wrapped around that of a young gentlemen – who was rather handsome, he admitted with unease. When she felt his stare directed at her, she spared him a glance of confusion. Her eyes widened for just a moment, her mouth twsiting open slightly to convey surprise, before she gathered herself and sent him a saucy little wink, gliding off to dance with her partner afterwards.

What the hell was she doing here? Feeling a little queasy at the knowledge of her presence, he kept a disturbed gaze planted on her, attempting to catch her arm and demand some answers. But he always found his path blocked by a throng of partygoers, many of whom were rather important members of the police force. So he was forced to make small talk and nod politely as a queasy feeling in his stomach reminded him rather forcefully that a master thief had somehow managed to find her way to the party. Having left early for the event, he had missed the call that had come in about the robbery, but he could assume that a crime was what she was here for.

Well, she wasn't actually doing anything to cause him worry. Instead, she seemed to be pleasantly conversing with her own little groups, chatting with the elder gentlemen and accepting compliments on her dress from the women. Her date never left her side, though she seemed perfectly unbothered by his constant presence. But her comfort only caused him to be more wary; she was just completely too blithe for his liking, a little too _relaxed_. He wondered just what she was planning under that pretty, smiling face of hers.

Nothing happened until after nine, however. He had only just started a small conversation about real estate with a new group of seniors when he saw her place a cell phone to her ear. Her expression dropped into one of worry, and she explained something to those she had been talking to, patted her date's arm, and raced out. He gritted his teeth, his gaze never straying from her figure. Obvioulsy she was up to something, and the conditions were apparently fitting enough for her to act. Well, he had no plans to simply alllow her to rob his friend blind.

If she was making her move, it was time to make his.

His eyes followed her actions diligently. Holding the skirt of her dress in one hand and a cell phone in another, she was speedily heading out of the room. A bad feeling punched his gut, and he found his instinct was furiously screaming at him to follow her immediately. Trusting that urge in him, he clapped the gentlemen he was talking to on the shoulders, drawing their attention.

"Uh, would you excuse me?" he asked his group without pulling his eyes away from her, and without waiting for their response, he followed after the furiously retreating figure. The noise of the party died down as his surroundings changed to a deserted hallway, and he cursed himself under his breath for allowing her to dominate his night like this. Even so, he quickened his steps, keeping his ears sharp. The distant sound of clicking heels reached him, and he broke into a jog.

She was waiting for him when he turned a corner, leaning against the edge of the wall with her arms crossed. When he came into view, she simply rolled her head on her neck to peer at him through her lashes – the picture of ease, much to his irritation.

"Fancy meeting you here," she teased with a grin, nothing but amusement clouding her eyes. Obviously she'd been aware of his gaze the entire night, because not a hint of distress or confusion marred her face. In fact, he realized in slight indignation, she had probably walked to match his pace, giving him a chance to catch up. In the time he had been pursuing her, he'd learned that she loved having an audience witness her easy victory, and she had one day chosen him as the unlucky witness.

He scowled darkly at the blithe way she seemed to be taking the situation. "Who invited you?" he demanded harshly. Surely no one here was in alliance with a master thief?

The question only caused her to chuckle. "Haven't you ever heard of a party crasher?" she joked, and when he only glared at her, she rolled her eyes and drawled, "I'm sensing a lot of hostility here. And to think, I thought we might have gotten just a _little bit _closer after what happened between us that _first night_." Her gaze traveled to the jacket pocket of his suit where, instead of a flower or pocket hanky, he had carefully arranged her satin face mask, and she smirked coyly. "Ah. Looks like we are."

Her lips quirked in amusement at his blush, and he wondered irritably whether that was the only look she knew. It was through no fault of his own that he lived nowhere near any sort of flower shop, and he had better things to do with his time than drive out to buy one just for a single party. Her mask had been all he could find on such short notice, especially since it seemed so elegant tucked in his pocket. Of course, he neglected to mention any of this, not feeling he owed her any sort of explanation. Nor did he permit himself to think of how he had never mustered up the strength to wash the damn mask, leaving it smelling distinctly like her.

"That night was a mistake," he hissed, trying to convince himself more than her. "Now, what are you here for?"

She shrugged a little too casually for his liking and replied, "Just a little business I need to take care of." When she made to move, however, he slammed his hand against the wall beside her head, halting her and effectively trapping her frame against his own.

"Don't think I'll let you get away so easily," he growled, seething down at her. "I'm not letting you steal from a friend."

Her face seemed to fall just slightly at those words, but she rearranged it just as he noticed and fake pouted instead. "So he's a friend of yours? Well, that's a little disappointing." A flash of determination suddenly passed through her eyes, and she was suddenly nothing but serious as she gazed up at him. "I've got a job to do, Toushiro," she muttered, "and I don't plan on letting even _you_ get in my way."

There were so many questions that he could have asked from such a mysterious statement, but he focused on the one that had been bothering him the most since he had first met her. Inclining his head to the side, he demanded, "How do you know my name?"

Humor flickered through her expression again, as she realized just how much fun she could have with him, and she truthfully answered, "Oh, with just a little help from Kyoraku Shunsui."

The look of absolute shock on his face was priceless, as well as being exactly the reaction she had been hoping for. Briefly, she wondered just exactly what his relationship was with the man, and even how far they went back. Judging by his stunned silence, he had to have known this Kyoraku for quite some time – even trusted him to some degree. She had learned over the years that the closer the bonds between two people, the better responses she could get from her teasing.

"You know Kyoraku?" he finally whispered, finding his voice. His eyes remained slightly larger than they normally were, interfering with his attempts to return to his cool facade.

"A little _too _well," she quipped back, thinking of all the information she had briefed through on his medical report. Catching the flabbergasted expression on his face once again, she put a finger on his frowning lips. "Oh, now don't you worry. He doesn't know _me_, of course." Her eyes glittering, she loosely tied her arms around his neck, enjoying the close proximity she had missed. "I only gave that honor to you."

"Why me?" he mumbled weakly from behind her hand, some of the fight going out of his eyes as bewilderment replaced it. It had bothered him since she'd first knocked out that red waitress at the restaurant, fully aware that he was watching her every move, he was sure. Even if she hadn't known of his profession that night, their many encounters together should have clued her in, yet she still seemed to take an interest in him. Frustrated, he repeated, "Why did you choose me?"

"Kicks," she replied flippantly, but it was the honest truth. Thinking back to their first meeting, she also admitted in a purr, "Besides, I liked the looks of you." Still feeling that persistent desire of hers to seduce him, she stroked a finger down his cheek as well, resisting the urge to snicker when he flinched at the flirtatious touch.

"You know, I could just drag you back to the party right now," he pointed out harshly. "It's full of police officers. You could get convicted tonight. With all your crimes, you could be looking at a life in prison."

"And where's your proof?" she challenged. When his eyebrows furrowed, she grinned. "See? You could witness every crime I ever commit, but without proof, you might as well have seen nothing. That's the great thing about the law." She leaned up again and whispered devilishly in his ear, "Besides, Mr. Detective, wouldn't _you _be an accomplice?"

The locket incident flashed in his mind, when he had foolishly and instinctively helped her by tripping the pudgy manager racing past him, and he groaned at his own stupidity. She laughed brightly at his predicament and assured him, "Don't worry. I appreciated the help so I won't tell anyone."

He looked down at her with suddenly hardened eyes, taking her by surprise. "Who was that man with you?" he asked out of the blue, strangely sounding bitter. She looked at him in bewilderment at the abrupt change in topic, blinking rapidly until she smirked slyly.

"Jealous?" she teased, unconsciously pulling him just a little closer.

"Hardly," was the reply, though his bothered expression screamed the opposite. He had, after all, spent a night with her, and the idea of her being with someone was off-putting. He knew from observing her many times now that she was loyal woman, never wavering during her crimes to ponder over second thoughts on her actions, so he was positive she would never have tracked him down that night if she already had someone special. Even so, he wondered what relationship she had with that unfortunately handsome man, who had turned quite a few female heads in the party hall.

When she noticed his distressed expression, she figured she owed him a truthful reply; this was obviously causing him the kind of discomfort she shouldn't tease him about. "Just a friend," she answered honestly. "Don't worry. He's not my boyfriend, or anything even close to that."

Relief cut through him at the answer, which was obviously not fabricated if her serious tone was anything to go by. But then another discomforting thought made its way into his head, as he remembered that Kage was here to do a job. The best guess would be that he was some sort of partner for the night, though he had never seen Kage working with anyone else before. He filed that thought away for later, determined to learn whether Kage worked alone or with some organization he could quite possibly track down. For now, he sent her a less than impressed look, hoping to cover up his previous desperateness.

"Fellow party crasher?" he asked down at her dryly, raising an eyebrow in a disapproving manner.

She huffed strongly. "You're not gonna let that go, are you?" she said, incredulously. When his expression did not change, she rolled her eyes. "_Fine_. If it'll get you off my case..."

He flushed furiously as she slipped one of her hands off his neck and shoved it _deeply _down the front of her dress. She proceeded to start rummaging through her own cleavage, which he remembered to be quite attractive, though that thought only made the large hallway seem stuffy all of a sudden now. Always a proper gentlemen, he looked away in courtesy to give her the privacy he firmly believed all women deserved. A flash of white brought his attention back to her, however, and he noticed she was holding a small card when he gingerly peeked out of the corner of his eyes.

"Here." She handed it to him almost roughly, as if disgruntled that he doubted her intentions or suspected underhanded tactics. Suspicious of both her and the card, he took it from her with his free hand and eyed it. It was, to his complete surprise, a formal invitation to the party, exactly like the one he had received.

"No one here knows who you are or what you do?" he guessed immediately after inspection, sure that no police officer in his right mind would invite a thief willingly to a party for numerous members on the force.

She beamed at his guess. "Hey, very impressive, detective," she complimented him, and watched with an expectantly raised eyebrow as he turned it over a few times, trying to find something wrong with it. But there was nothing. "See? I have every right to be here as much as you do," she said smugly.

"Except _I'm _not going to steal from the host," he retorted. Satisfied that the invite was indeed genuine, he returned it to her. She snatched it because of his snappy answer and haughtily shoved it back down her dress. He briefly wondered what else she had down there, before he caught himself from thinking of her chest any further. Even so, he couldn't resist his curiosity, which came from years of detective work.

"Why do you do that?" he asked in embarrassment, remembering her feather at the Moroccan restaurant as well. She blinked in confusion, not understanding the question. Realizing with a grimace that such an act must be completely normal to her and he should expect it more in the future, he painfully elaborated, "Shove everything down your dress, I mean."

"Oh!" She bobbed her head as she realized what he meant before grinning. "Because when you've lived with the woman I grew up with, things like that are normal." He only raised his eyebrows in confusion, so she released him and stepped back. "She's like this." Placing two of her hands over her chest, she mimed a breast size that could not be humanly possible.

"Your mother?" he inquired, feeling his heart jolt as he, for the first time, wondered just what kind of family Kage had. He had never imagined her as a daughter or sister figure, and even now, he had difficulty picturing a homely scene with her in it. His mind ghosted over the idea that perhaps a less than ideal family situation had pushed her towards a life of crime, but with no proof or clues, he had nothing to support the basis of the idea.

"Nope," she denied with a shake her head, and left it at that. He waited for her to add something, but she didn't, so he dropped it for now when he noticed that pained flash in her eyes. Instead, his ears perked as he heard the distant sound of footsteps getting louder as they headed their way. She must have heard them too, because her head snapped up and alarm dominated her features.

"Oh, shit. Someone's coming!" she hissed furiously. For a moment, she panicked, looking left and right desperately for some sort of an escape route. After all, she had a reputation for never getting caught. _Ever. _And then, she finally noticed him smirking down at her, probably excited at the idea of her finally frenzied or getting found out. In a split second decision, she grabbed the back of his head, shoved him down roughly, and met him halfway, plastering the front of her body to his as their lips messily followed suit.

"Mmm?" His eyes widened just as hers closed. The footsteps were getting closer, and he should have instantly pushed her away. It could have aroused suspicion towards her that would have ultimately helped his case. But the passion they had felt many nights before sparked again, and he found himself succumbing to it and roughly pushing her against the wall instead. She hitched a leg around his waist, and her dress bunched up to her waist as a result, leaving her leg bare.

Someone rounded the corner, and surprise was evident in their voice as they ventured, "Is someone – _eep!_"

They broke apart to find a horridly blushing woman staring at them, her hand clapped over her mouth in shock. She was obviously an unsuspecting party guest, judging by the way she was dressed so regally. What mortified him was that she was an elderly woman, and he rather felt like his own beloved grandmother had caught him in the middle of such a naughty act.

"I-I'm so sorry," she stuttered, backing away slowly. "I-I didn't mean…" Without finishing that sentence, she rushed off in the direction she had just come from.

The two just stood there for a moment, frozen in their position as they stared after her, even after she was out of sight. Finally, he groaned. He did _not _need that spreading around the entire party, ruining his reputation as the always professional enforcer of the law. Plus, he was quite positive this would make its way to both Kyoraku and Ukitake at some point, since both were well acquainted with Takeda, and they would be sure to tease him endlessly. At her snicker, he slowly pushed away, untangling himself from her. She carefully pulled her dress back down before smirking up at him.

"Well, _damn,_" she murmured, but he only scowled. Chuckling, she wiped at the wetness on her mouth by flicking her thumb across her bottom lip quickly. "Sorry for the cliché, but I've always wanted to try that." She winked. "Always looked really sexy in the movies."

"Glad to be of service," he said dryly, jerking on his cuffs to straighten his sleeves. It was as if looking as proper as possible would somehow erase the incident that had just happened. She took advantage of being released from against the wall by pushing away from against it.

"Hmm. Well, it's been fun," she said suddenly, and ducking around him, she shot off down the hall. He gaped after her while she waved over her shoulder, disappearing around the hall soon after.

"Wait!" he called out furiously, cursing himself for the moment of carelessness. Without hesitation, he ran after her.

There was no way he was going to let anything disappear on his watch. _Especially _if it was her doing.

**.. ღ ..**

"You just don't let up, do you?" she asked with amusement when he finally caught up to her. Having followed her heels, he turned a corner to find her waiting again – not for him this time, though. Instead, she had been eying the security installed in the hallways, pondering over the best way to avoid tripping any sensors or being caught on camera.

"Laser sensors?" she said aloud scornfully, and rolled her eyes. "Really? What is this – a cheesy action flick? Do they have rolling balls of doom, too?"

He glared over at her, not appreciating her mocking towards a friend. Takeda had been smart not to simply allow guests to travel his halls any which way they wanted; most of the officers were well aware they were expected to stay in the party hall, as was polite at someone else's gathering, so installing security for those suspicious rule breakers by closing off areas was a smart move for protection. The distance between the beams, too, was too far for anyone to bend and manuver their way through without exhausting themselves. He smirked as he noticed her furrow her eyebrows, analyzing the situation, perhaps miraculously stuck.

"Oh, well," she muttered finally, shrugging casually. "Nothing too difficult." She threw off her heels and crouched down. Taking the shoes in her hand, she placed them against the floor and flicked her wrist. They slid across the tiles and underneath the lasers, skidding to a stop neatly on the other side. "Now, my turn!"

Bunching up her dress, she tied it around her knees. There was a polished table sitting next to the wall down the hall, mixed in with the lasers, and she looked at it thoughtfully. Before he could grab her, she raced down the hallway. Just inches from the first beam, she leaped into the air. He watched in awe as she maneuvered her body to the left. When she hit the wall, she was crouching on it with her feet. In that second, she kicked her legs with enough force to propel her forward. She landed gracefully on the tabletop, and jumped the rest of the distance, landing safely on the ground on the other side.

"That was easy," she called over to him, grabbing her heels and slipping them back on. She turned back and waved him over. "You coming?" He eyed the beams, wondering whether if it would be a wise move to continue down the path when it was obvious Takeda wanted no one down there; even so, he couldn't let Kage run off by herself. Just then, as if to make his decision, she gratingly taunted, "Should I turn off the lasers for you?"

With a huge scowl, he ignored her teasing. Instead, he raced forward, without hesitation now, and copied her moves exactly. When he landed next to her easily, she gazed at him in admiration.

"Didn't know you could do _that,_" she breathed out, and he felt rather smug. They raced down the hall, him following her closely but only so he could locate her target. She seemed to know exactly where she was going, despite the labyrinth of hallways. What was strange was that there were hardly any more obstacles; Takeda had obviously thought the mass of armed guards surrounding the entire building would be enough, and Hitsugaya groaned inwardly at his lack of insight.

"So this friend of yours," she made conversation as they ran. "You guys close?"

"Close enough," he replied icily. "If I said he wasn't, would that make the crime okay?"

"I'm doing a good thing," she said softly, so quietly that she might have said it just to herself, and looked away from him. He felt rage boil up inside him at her words, which sounded like she was reassuring herself it was ever okay to take from others.

"You're _stealing,_" he hissed. "Taking someone's property from them -"

"And if it wasn't legally his property," she cut him off, her gaze steady as she peered ahead, "would _that _make this okay?"

He eyed her curiously, unsure of exactly what she meant by those cryptic words, but she wouldn't meet his eyes again. Soon enough, they came across a hallway with a security camera installed, and she automatically plastered herself to that wall, sliding underneath the lens and out of sight. He did the same almost instinctively just as she did, long since used to thinking like a criminal. They came to a hallway full of closed doors, and she slowed down in front of one.

"We're here," she whispered, fully coming to a halt. "My friend said he keeps it here."

"And how would your friend know?" he asked crisply, raising a cool eyebrow.

She shrugged. "He knows things..." He only glared at the vague answer, so she put up her hands in defense. "Okay, he tailed Takeda for a while after he learned about the job. We needed information on him."

"So you've got a whole network of thieves working for you, huh?" he said, outraged once again. Was there _anything _she wouldn't do for a robbery? The thought of innocent little Takeda, clueless about a dangerous robber following him around all the time, made him see red.

She glared at him. "We're not _thieves,_" she growled, shoving him away as she knelt down in front of the doorknob. It would have been a relief that the door was locked, but he was quite sure Kage would never let such a thing hinder her.

Sure enough, she pulled the large beret that had been clipped on top of her low bun out of her hair. He was about to berate her for thinking like a cartoon character and picking the lock that way, but when she flipped it over, he noticed the tiniest little black screwdriver taped to the back. As he watched in shock, she skillfully unscrewed the faceplate, setting it on the ground beside her. Then, she quickly pulled off the doorknob, which she also placed on the ground. Ignoring him, she peered into the hole, grinning as she found what she was looking for. After a few more spins of the tool, she pulled out all the screws, the locking cylinder, and the bolt. She sighed in satisfaction once her work had been done and pushed open the door easily, which was now unlocked.

"Used to this?" he spat out in disgust. She stuck out her tongue as she stomped inside, and he cautiously followed her, his eyes narrowed as he took in his surroundings. It was a very spacious room, the space oddly completely empty except for a lone chair. On the chair was something covered in a white sheet. She pulled it off easily, revealing a beautiful painting underneath.

He felt his eyebrows scrunch in confusion. Now, that was odd. Why would Takeda have a separate room for just this one thing? He knew there were some people that had strange tendencies towards something they held dear; he'd seen it quite often in his line of work. People sometimes went to any lengths to protect something precious to them. But he didn't remember his friend having any such quirks.

As he stared at the painting with puzzlement, trying to contemplate its worth towards the officer, Karin ran for the window on the opposite side of the room. She knelt down under the frame, like they had with the security camera, and carefully peered out just slightly, keeping her body hidden from anyone standing out there.

"Just like I thought," she murmured, finding herself facing the back of the home. "Twice the guards out there."

He blinked towards her, making connections quickly. "He knew you were coming?" he deadpanned, and she nodded.

"Well, _duh,_" she drawled, looking over at him as if he was particularly slow. "You should know already that I have somebody call in and tell the police before I rob someone."

"_You _do that?" he asked in shock. That just did not add up. Why would a thief _want _her victim to know she was coming? Though, seeing as how she had never failed before, it wasn't really idiotic of her to do so. He wondered if it was just that cocky attitude of hers that prompted her. He'd seen firsthand just how overconfident she was in her skills, though it was justified.

She rolled her eyes at his surprise. "You don't think it's weird that _someone always_ knows that I'm coming? Who knows better them _me_? Good grief, detective. A notch of respect just went down." She mimed her hand falling down a fraction, earning a glare from his direction. Ignoring it, she slipped away from the window and headed for the painting. Putting a hand to her chin, she peered at it suspiciously.

"Probably sensory," she commented in a soft mumble. Then, to his astonishment, she shrugged nonchalantly, as if they weren't in a very dangerous position right now, and cried, "Oh, well! I always find a way out." And with a careless expression, she grabbed the picture. Immediately, obnoxious alarm bells started ringing loudly across the house, accompanied by flashing red lights. "Thought so!" she screamed over the noise, while he scrambled to think up a solution to their predicament.

Thundering footsteps rang out down the hallway. A horde of people were headed their way, he could tell that much, probably alerted by the security system that someone had broken into a restricted room. Kage just looked towards the door with an excited glimmer in her eyes.

"They're coming!" she exclaimed with obvious excitement. He stared at her incredulously, completely perplexed as to how she could be so carefree on the brink of capture. Surely her skills weren't _that _good, to get her out of such a cornered position. There were guards both outside and just down the hall, and she would no doubt be caught red-handed soon enough. Even he couldn't think of an escape route, so he couldn't see how _she _would. But she seemed perfectly relaxed as she swung towards him.

"You know," she told him brightly, beaming, "I _always _find a way to both get my target _and _escape. But tonight, I think I'll do even better than that."

And she abruptly thrust the painting into his hands. In his surprise, he actually grabbed onto it. She stuffed her hand down her dress and pulled out a paper bill of money, thrusting that at him, too. Flabbergasted, he accepted it, and then watched blankly as she opened the window and crawled out, swinging up to the roof by using her black dress as a cover.

In that instant, the door slammed open.

"_Freeze!_" screamed Takeda, his expression wild as he pointed accusingly into the room. His face fell drastically as he saw who was inside, however, holding his precious painting in shock as he stared back at him. His trembling finger fell, and he stammered out, "H-Hitsugaya?"

This did _not_ look good.

* * *

><p>Karin is so evil. I <em>love <em>it! Poor Toushiro's up for a tough time ahead :P

I hope this was a good enough apology gift to make it up to you guys! :D


	10. Chapter 5

So, I really need to try and stick to my update schedule :/ Otherwise, I just know one of my stories is going to end up being accidentally forgotten for too long. Even so, I finished this chapter and decided there was no point in making you guys wait if this was done. Plus, I was starved for reviews. ^^'

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.**

* * *

><p>A mass of guards escorted him down to the party hall. Takeda was glaring at him heatedly, even though he had tried to explain that it was a misunderstanding. His old friend had simply wrenched the painting from his hands, and now he cradled it close to his chest as they marched. Hitsugaya, meanwhile, clutched the money Kage had given him tightly, almost crushing it in his anger at her. He knew by now that she enjoyed both playing mind games and cornering him in uncomfortable situations, but <em>this<em>; she had gone too far.

Forget his strange obsession with her, or his unexplainable need to keep all the evidence to himself. So far, he'd been treating her lightly, careful not to reveal too much to others because they could possibly track her down and turn her into the police. He was well aware that he had been subconsciously protecting the mysterious woman, treading lightly during the cases because of his strange attachment to her. Since that first night, the two had entered some sort of secret bond that was not easy to break, and his curiosity about her only added to his desire to keep her for himself, if only for a little while.

But now she had crossed the line. Not only had she attempted to rob his friend blind, but she had tried to use him as an escape route. Their exchanges were to be kept private, unknown by others and just for themselves, but now she had brought others into their little game. He would admit that he had respected Kage on some level because of her strange ethics during crimes, but the thought that she had paid no mind to how this would hurt him had him bristling.

The party guests watched them curiously as they walked in, a group of guards surrounding them closely and keeping a wary gaze on the uncomfortable detective. Takeda led him to a table in the middle of the crowded hall and gestured towards a seat. He obliged the man by sitting, hanging his head as his friend took the chair opposite him. Placing the painting safely by his side, Takeda intertwined his fingers and leaned towards him, using his elbows on the table as a support.

"Care to explain?" he finally asked rather bitterly. A crowd of police folk gathered around them, murmuring to each other and gazing at him curiously.

Damn her. Well, he could get even. He knew what she looked like, and he knew her criminal patterns. He could have her arrested very soon, and she would learn that no one could mess with him so easily, no matter how pretty or captivating they were.

He hung his head lower, taking the chance to glare at the bill in his hand. It was like a slap in the face. What, did she think she could _bribe_ him into keeping quiet? After everything she had caused tonight, the very idea was laughable. Surely her opinion of him wasn't so low, as to think that the detective on her tail would crumble so easily because of an offer of money; the thought left him bitter and enraged. There was absolutely no way...

As he stared at the bill, he realized there was something rather strange about it. It didn't really look like any bill he had seen, especially when he took notice of the minute changes from a regular one. Well, yes, it was Italian currency, oddly enough (how had Kage come across that?). But when he looked closer, he realized there were small differences between it and government issued bills; the ink was smudged in several parts, the borders were uneven, and the serial number on the bottom was unevenly spaced, with each character a different shade of color.

After working with the police for so many years, Hitsugaya had come to learn a little something about money, and this almost looked like a counterfeit bill. And really, he suspected that Kage had known he would notice the contrasts. She, after all, knew better than anyone about his attention to detail and his expansive knowledge on information regarding the police force. A small voice in his head concluded that she had handed him fake money on purpose, so he raked his brains for any connection he could make with her small hint. And then he remembered that Takeda had only just recently returned from Italy, where he would have had to use _Italian currency_. Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, he looked up at the painting Kage had been trying to steal, now clutched tightly in Takeda's hands.

"Hey, who painted that?" he questioned the man, feigning curiosity. The chief of police looked at him in surprise, which quickly turned into mistrust. Hitsugaya immediately held up his hands in defense. "I promise, I'm not trying anything by asking. I'm simply just very curious, because it's a very beautiful piece. It must have cost you a lot of money."

He was extensively playing on the man's ego. From knowing him for so long, Hitsugaya was well aware that the man desired fame and glory more than anything else in this world; it was what had prompted him to abandon his own team and take up a job as a chief of police in a completely new district, because the job came with much more prestige than his last one. The detective had an inkling that he had brought them back to the party hall just so he could draw attention to himself. He could never resist the chance to boast, especially with the number of people crowding around them now. And sure enough, his suspicious gaze instantly transformed into a proud one at his words.

"This was painted by a young Italian artist by the name of Abele Marino," he bragged, holding it up for everyone to admire. "He's the latest celebrity in art over there, and _I_ was one of the first people to buy his work. I bought this in Milan five weeks ago. And you were right – cost me a fortune." As the crowd admired the painting and praised Takeda, Hitsugaya's mind was churning with information. Not wanting to believe it, he gazed between the bill and the painting before gritting his teeth.

"Takeda, do you have any Italian money with you?" he asked carefully.

The man froze in place, gazing at him in surprise at the words. "What?" he asked with a chuckle, as if his question was completely absurd.

"Italian money," the detective repeated, determined to discover the answer to his dangerous musings. "I want to see it. I've never been to Italy, you see, and I'm curious about the currency. And you were just there a few weeks ago. Didn't you tell me earlier at the party that you haven't been able to finish all your errands since you got back, like stopping by the bank?" Some of the other officers, who had been a part of that conversation, murmured along in agreement with him, looking curious themselves.

"Oh. Uh, all right. Yes, I do believe I have some." He slipped a hand into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, unable to refuse when he had himself said such a thing in front of so many people. Opening it to reveal a few bills, he handed one to him. Toushiro took notice of the quick flash of worry that passed through his features, but then it was instantly replaced with a look of cool reassurance, as if he thought there was no way anyone could notice anything out of the ordinary. This just flared Hitsugaya's temper, as he had never taken well to such blatant disregard for police authority. Surprisingly enough, he didn't actually feel that same vibe from Kage.

"Amazing," he murmured with fake interest as he took it, looking at the bill from all angles and fingering the numbers. Almost immediately, he saw it; the money Takeda had handed him was identical to the counterfeit bill he'd received from Kage. A sick feeling churned in his stomach, but his anger was greater than even that, which allowed him to keep up the act. "How interesting that it's really different from our... Hey, does this look a little strange to you?" Faking an expression of bemusement, he held it up.

"Italian money is just really strange," Takeda stuttered, grabbing for it. His face had twisted into one of horror, and the detective inwardly smirked at making him sweat. Served him right. So he dodged out of the way and instead held the bill out to someone standing in the crowd around them – a police officer.

"Does this look strange to you?" he asked innocently. The man, though surprised by the sudden question, took it and peered at it closely, holding it up to the light a moment later.

"Hmm. It does. But, why...?" His eyes widened as he finally made the connection Toushiro had been hoping for. "It's counterfeit," he whispered in shock, and his gaze snapped up to the sweating Takeda. "Why do you have a counterfeit bill, Takeda-san?"

"Let me see!" someone cried almost excitedly, and soon, multiple police officers were passing it around, confirming the observation and gazing at the party host suspiciously.

"It's just evidence from a crime here," Takeda made up, but his eyes were moving around rapidly as he desperately tried to avoid making eye contact. Anyone could tell he was afraid of slipping out the truth, or that someone would catch his lie.

"Check his wallet!" someone cried out. Hitsugaya's heart jolted when he realized it was the same gentleman who had been Kage's date. He was sporting a rather satisfied grin at the moment, looking at Takeda with nothing but mirth in his eyes. The detective gazed at him curiously, wondering whether it was because he was simply glad the man was being brought to justice, or for his own personal gain. The tattooed man noticed his gaze and looked up, winking at him mischievously when he caught his eye.

Someone took his advice and made a leap for Takeda's wallet, tucked into his shirt's pocket. Ignoring his protests, he opened it and grabbed the bills, pulling them out one after another. "They're all counterfeit!" he confirmed, causing an uproar. Two officers seized Takeda, and the guards made no move to help, lest they oppose the law. The party broke up in light of this new revelation, and both the painting and the money were taken into the police's custody as evidence.

Hitsugaya kind of wished he had a gyrfalcon feather to present to Takeda.

**.. ღ ..**

When he got home, Hitsugaya collapsed onto his bed, exhausted.

After Takeda had been found out, he had been taken to the police station. The party goers had asked that he be there, as he had been the one to make the discovery. When he had told them he needed to come to work early the next day for the Kage case, they had been more than happy moving to his police station, despite the long drive. The evidence had been laid on a table and looked over, and after two hours of tough investigation, Takeda had finally confessed to his crimes of counterfeit and thievery.

It was now nearing midnight, and the young detective was wallowing in self-loathing. Groaning, he put his hands over his face. He had been so blinded by friendship that he had almost let a guilty man go free. He had actually _defended_ him! Countless times, too. He couldn't help but think of the people the ex-chief had conned, and how they would have had to go on forever with being cheated. The thought made him sick to his stomach.

Rolling over in his bed, he turned his thoughts to Kage. Momentarily, he wondered whether she had known of Takeda's crimes when she targeted him. That was the only explanation as to why she'd thought to give him a counterfeit bill, and from the same country too. Repeatedly throughout the night, she'd insisted that what she was doing was a good thing, but he just hadn't been inclined to believe her. Now, he could kick himself for his stupidity.

With a light groan, he laid down on his back and rubbed his face with his hands in exhaustion.

"Hey," someone suddenly whispered into the quiet. Startled, he looked out from his hands, and his heart jolted when he saw Kage by his window. She was perched on a tree branch outside and knocking on the glass pane; after her first arrival, he had remembered to keep it closed. He mechanically left his bed and opened the window for her, stepping back as she clambered in. She was still wearing her party dress and heels, and in one of her hands was a manila folder. He wondered how she could have possibly climbed up a tree like that.

"He got arrested?" she asked him cautiously, waiting in anticipation. He nodded stoically, his expression blank because the night's events had taken their toll on him.

She put a hand over her heart and sighed in relief before beaming up at him. "Great work," she complimented him. "I knew you'd figure it out."

She held up her free hand and mimed it rising – a higher notch of respect for him, he remembered from back at the Takeda mansion. He didn't say anything, though, too emotionally drained to make such an effort. Instead, he just eyed the manila folder in her other hand. She followed his curious gaze down to it, and then patted the file.

"Too big to stuff down my shirt," she joked, trying to lighten the mood. He didn't laugh, nor did he even crack a smile, and his lack of any reactions made her slightly uncomfortable; though he was a naturally icy man, he had never been outright impassive. It made her feel a little guilty for bringing him into this and causing such a reaction. Really, the only reason she had done so was because she knew he could handle such an important job. After observing him for all those times he chased after her, she knew that she could trust him to figure out her clue in the end. He had done a better job than she could, because his word meant more to the police officers.

But now she wished she had thought to pause and think about the effects it would have on him. She had grown up learning that not everyone was as they seemed, so coming to know that even a chief of police could go bad hadn't been such a shock. But Hitsugaya had only just learned tonight of the true nature of people and how twisted they could be. Discovering that his old friend was really a criminal had to have effected him strongly, hence his sudden unresponsive attitude. And she really didn't know how to handle him now, as handling things delicately had never been her strong point. Finally, she decided to just go ahead and say what she had come to say, to clear her name from his bad books; she just hoped he could handle it.

Meeting his blank gaze once again, she chewed on her bottom lip as she explained, "I wanted to show this to you. It's the file I received on the Takeda case before I was sent to make my recovery, and all the proof about his counterfeiting is in here. I know you're probably mad at me for what I did, but I just wanted to let you know that it was for a good reason." She stared at him in fixed determination, no longer nervous as she asserted the truth she had been hoping he would finally believe for so long. "Someone needed my help, and you can resent me for that, but you can't deny the facts–"

He closed the distance between them in a flash, grabbed the file from her hands, and tossed it aside without giving it a second glance. It hit the adjacent wall, where it slid down and landed on a sofa set against its surface. As she stared at it, flabbergasted at his action, he wordlessly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and jolted her forward, setting his cheek against the top of her head. After a moment, he felt her tentatively slip her hands around his waist in return.

"You're not mad?" she asked in a small voice, pressing her face further into his chest. She felt surprisingly safe and warm there, in his arms, and all the anxiety she had felt about facing him washed away in that instant. This was the way he had made her feel that first night, she remembered, when he'd held her closely with so much passion.

"No," he answered honestly, closing his eyes in his grief but squeezing her tighter. "Thank you, for helping me see that he wasn't a good guy." She nodded in response, and they lapsed into silence, save for the trees swaying with the wind outside. It blew past them, too, cooling them in the summer heat, and he breathed out deeply as he felt himself calm down. Having her in his arms, despite what he had been forcing himself to think all this time, was just what he needed to dull his raging emotions. He could never be mad at her now, not when she had looked so small bathed in the moonlight as she faced him head-on, despite her apparent nerves.

"You're welcome." She breathed in his clean, soothing scent as she answered, and then she sighed in relief when he allowed himself a brief chuckle at her rather late reply.

"...Is that what you do?" he finally asked, voicing a question that had been plaguing his mind all night. He kept his eyes firmly on the trees outside, masked with a far away look. Keeping her close, the two began to subtly sway in place together. "Take from the bad and give back to the victims?"

He felt her nod against his chest. "Well, they do pay me," she admitted, and he smirked at how sheepish she sounded. "But, yes. I don't steal."

It was something she had been trying to tell him repeatedly, and now, he could believe it. She didn't steal; she corrected crimes. She saved people from heartache and sorrow by recovering their beloved possessions. The gyrfalcon was a fitting feather in return.

He leaned back and took in the hopeful expression on her face as she looked up at him, obviously worried that perhaps he might still not side with her. But she had no reason to worry, because he had finally understood tonight, after discovering the truth about Takeda, that Kage was someone the world needed to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. He could never hate someone so selfless, who gave so much thought to others and even put herself at risk for it. With so much trusting emotion and understanding building inside of him, he did the one thing he thought was appropriate for the situation. He kissed her – lightly, slowly, sweetly, on the lips. She sighed happily and eagerly kissed him back.

He didn't really know how it happened, but next they were tumbling onto his bed, rough as they grabbed at one another, desiring the contact. It was for the second time, and yet he felt this time had a special meaning. This wasn't a mistake; he was sure of it. As he yanked at her dress, the unused feather drifted out, and he realized it was because he respected her now, as well as trusted her, fully and genuinely.

And in the moment where their passion harmonized at its peak, he realized he didn't even know her name.

**.. ღ ..**

When he woke up the next morning, she was gone again. However, rather than the relief he had felt after their first night together, when he had only worried over how he could possibly face her, he felt disappointment rip through him instead this time. A part of him had wanted her beside him when he woke up, so he could be sure that what they had done had a special meaning.

They'd talked late into the night afterwards, even though he had to report to work later. As he held her in his arms, they engaged in softly murmured pillow talk, like any pair of lovers that wanted to know more about each other. As the seconds ticked on, she whispered the truth into his ear; she told him of why she did what she did, all the people she had helped, all the crimes she had corrected, the reason she called in tips to the police station, and even why she used a gyrfalcon feather as an exchange for the target.

He couldn't once accuse her of lying, of hiding the full truth from him. Because every word she spoke added up, and everything clicked into place with what he had learned about her himself. Not once had he ever noticed her discriminate against others for her crimes; she went after lowly shop owners as well as nobility, never picking on just the rich nor going after money. And he agreed that whoever the police protected from her always seemed to hold no emotional attachment to their target, only monetary value. And when Kage had finally sighed and put an end to her confessions, he found himself feeling nothing but happiness at the fact that she had bested him in every single crime.

But now she was gone, and he couldn't help but feel that his bedroom was strangely lacking without her presence to brighten it up. Before he could fall too far into the pits of despair, however, he suddenly heard a light creak from across the room.

"Hey, Toushiro. You mind if I borrow some clothes?" His head snapped up in hope, and his eyes found her instantly. There she was, standing in front of the bathroom door, wearing his bath robe and bedroom slippers, and absentmindedly running a towel through her wet hair. She had stayed.

He let the relief wash over him, realizing that if he had taken the time to look over the side of the bed, he would have noticed her clothes still lying on the floor. The file he had tossed aside previously was still on the sofa, too. Feeling overjoyed that she had not jumped out his window like last time, he shook his head at her question and replied, "Uh, not at all."

She grinned. "Thanks. I can hardly head back in that dress." She picked it up off the floor and started folding it neatly. "That would definitely draw some attention."

"Oh. Are you heading back already?" He tried not to sound so crestfallen.

"Well, I wouldn't say no if you wanted to feed me..." she hinted with a chuckle. He saw that her eyes were twinkling in amusement and couldn't help but smirk.

"I'll make breakfast, then," he offered, and she nodded enthusiastically. He slipped out of the bed, grabbing his sweatpants from the floor and slipping them on again. Then he rummaged through his dresser, pulling out another pair of sweatpants and a button-up shirt. She was almost the same size as him, with only a few inches difference, so he was fairly sure they would fit. He tossed them to her, and she caught them gracefully.

"Thanks," she said, and immediately disrobed.

Trying to be stealthy about the fact that his ears had probably turned red at her bold actions, he quickly turned back to the dresser to give her privacy and pulled out a second shirt for himself, slipping it on painfully slow. When he was sure the rustling had stopped and all was clear, he finally headed for the door.

With his back turned, he didn't see the way Kage rolled her eyes, looking rather pleased with herself.

**.. ღ ..**

Breakfast was a lovely, quiet affair. They speedily worked together to clean up afterwards, and when the last dish was put away, she finally announced that she was heading home. She rested her belongings carefully in a bag he had provided for her, and he offered her a hand as she slipped on her heels.

"I'll return your clothes soon," she promised, grinning up at him brightly from the doorway.

"Hey, what's your name?" It had completely slipped out by accident, and he cringed at his tumble. Yes, he had been curious about it since the thought had entered his mind the previous night. But he had planned on not asking, instead forcing the nagging inquiry to the back of his mind. Well, apparently his mouth had other ideas.

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. "My name?" she repeated, and he nodded. If it was out, he might as well ask for an answer. "I have many names," she answered mysteriously, unable to keep a straight face. "Many prefer the Farukon no Kage, but Supreme Master of Awesomeness has always been a close second–"

"Be serious, would you?" he interrupted her as she broke off into snickers. Wiping at the tears of laughter in her eyes, she sent him a playful smile.

"Aren't you supposed to be a genius detective?" she teased, punching his arm lightly. "Figure it out."

"No clues to start me off?" he joked in return. It was meant to be nothing more than a joke, but to his surprise, she actually paused to ponder the idea. Placing her hand on her chin, she hummed as she considered his words.

"All right," she finally relented, and he waited for her to think of an acceptable clue, still rather taken aback. "...Karakura." He looked at her questioningly, unsure of what she had just said, and she expanded. "That's your clue: Karakura."

"Hmm." It was his turn to pause as he mulled over the foreign word. Trust Kage to come up with something he had never heard of before. He was unsure of whether this was a name, place, or even a real thing! But Toushiro had never been one to back down from challenges; in fact, the seemingly unsolvable cases were his absolute favorites. So she offered her a smirk. "All right. I'll see what I can do."

"Great! And if you can guess my name correctly, I'll..." She puckered her lips in thought, gazing off into space.

"You don't have to _give_ me anything," he told her, entertained by her childish antics.

She shook her head firmly. "This is like a game, and games have prizes," she argued. "Otherwise, it's no fun ...I've got it!" she exclaimed excitedly. Eyes sparkling, she patted his arm. "All right, Toushiro. If you can properly figure out my name – and you get one try. There's no wishy washy three guesses rule – then I'll show you where I live."

He was taken aback by such a serious offer. Showing him her home was like handing herself off to the police. Was she seriously willing to risk that? He would know of her secrets, her sanctuary, her hideout.

"But, if you guess wrong," she continued ominously, wagging a finger at him, "the next time I get a job, _you'll_ have to do it."

Her challenging eyes bored into his as he considered such a serious proposal. Despite the childish and carefree nature of the game initially, it had taken a rather grave turn. Either he would make the most major breakthrough he could in his case, or he would go back on all of his morals and beliefs. Although, he had to remind himself, Kage didn't actually steal to take, but rather to give. Even so, actually doing a recovery could be too big a step for him just yet.

Then again, Kyoraku _had_ always teased him for being too boring to take any risks in his life...

"Deal," he agreed instantly, holding out his hand for a final shake. She took it happily, smirking up at his determined expression.

"Someone's confident in their skills, huh?" Her eyes narrowed seductively, and she purred, "I _like_ that in a man."

He coughed uncomfortably as he walked her to the patio, where she paused and turned back for one last good-bye. Their lips met in the middle, and the two shared a sweet kiss once again, as if they were a normal couple rather than a master thief and a genius detective duo. She bit his bottom lip inticingly before finally pulling away, ready to depart. Just as she was about to leave, however, he finally noticed her footwear.

"Will you be all right in those?" he asked in concern. Heels were hardly practical, but he realized that she probably had nothing else to wear. "Should I call a cab to take you home?"

She shook her head. "Nah, it's all right," she denied, waving a hand in front of her chest. "I have to do something before I head back, anyway, and heels will be more than fine."

He raised his eyes at the confusing idea of such high shoes being sensible for an extra errand, but shrugged it off. It was her choice.

"See ya around!" she called as she ran down the sidewalk, rather gracefully and too steadily for someone in such uncomfortable footwear. It truly struck him once again, then, that this was the Farukon no Kage, a deadly woman capable of so much.

It was just too easy to let his guard down around her, he mused as he shut the front door.

**.. ღ ..**

He was hit with a sense of deja vu when he walked into work later that day. Just as the last time he had spent the night with the dangerous thief, the police station was chaotic. Harried looking officers rushed past him, looking stressed and overworked, worries etched onto their faces. He offhandedly blamed it on the shocking discovery of the previous night. Just thinking of Takeda's betrayal sent a scowl to his face, and he breathed deeply as he headed to his office, trying to calm himself by thinking of something else. As he walked by the interrogation room he had spent time in hours ago, he briefly wondered what mysterious "something" Kage had planned to do before heading home.

He was answered, surprisingly, by a group of the same haggard police officers. Each looked like they could rip their hair out as they discussed the situation by the interrogation room Takeda had been in last night.

"Just completely gone."

"A couple hours ago, only this morning -"

"Right under out noses, too. Chief is hopping mad."

"...no Kage?"

It was this last inquiry that halted him in his tracks. He quickly swung in their direction, peering through the glass of the room used for questioning. Though devoid of any people now, everything looked completely untouched and as he remembered. But then, one single, noticeable difference caught his eye, and he secretly smirked; a gaping empty space now disrupted the previous layout of the evidence table.

The painting was gone, and in its place laid a single, white feather.

* * *

><p>Okay, how many of you totally forgot about the job? :P HitsuKarin love just has a way of making you totally oblivious to the outside world as you fall for their fluffiness.<p>

Some of you had really good guesses last chapter about what you thought might happen next. Kudos to you! (And I told you Karin had a plan). But now I've presented a new mystery. :D So, what do you guys think? Can our genius detective figure out her name? I've got it all figured out, but what are your opinions?


	11. Chapter 6

**A/N: **_This__ story lives!_

Seriously, everyone, I am so, _so_ sorry for pulling that disappearing act on you. I have absolutely no excuse – there was just real life and a fickle muse getting in the way. But I'm back now, and I'm _determined_ to finally put an end to this story, once and for all! We're really close to the home stretch, anyway.

Also, I just wanted to say, wow, I really had no idea this story had so many loyal fans O_O Perhaps they were all _new_ fans, but I had about seven or eight people message me in the past two months alone, hoping that I would finally continue. You guys _rock_, okay? You made me feel all tingly and special (when I really had no business feeling that way OTL), and so I dedicate this chapter to you :)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.**

* * *

><p>Recap<p>

_"Is that what you do? Take from the bad and give back to the victims?"_

_ "Yes. I don't steal." It was something she had been trying to tell him repeatedly, and now, he could believe it._

_-.-.-.-_

_"What's your name?"_

_"Aren't you supposed to be a genius detective?" she teased. "Figure it out."_

_"That's your clue: Karakura."_

_"If you figure out my name, I'll show you where I live. But if you guess wrong, the next time I get a job, _you'll_ have to do it."_

* * *

><p><em>Months Later<em>

"And so you got away in time?" Hitsugaya murmured into his partner's ear, coiling his arm around her bare waist more tightly.

"Mm-hmm..." Her answer was more of a pleased hum, but he understood.

Even after these days of spending time together, it still shocked him to learn that he could be so comfortable spending all of his free time with a wanted woman. Of course, it helped to know that she wasn't the type of person the cops made her out to be, but he had never been one to jump into anything, and spending every night with her ever since the day he met her seemed like the most rash decision he had ever made.

He'd also never had such a carnal relationship with anyone before. Being a traditional man from a small town meant he liked taking things slow and romancing a lady, but Kage was too spirited for his ways, always jumping head first into the passion they shared together. It had taken some time, but he'd gotten used to her crawling through a window late at night and viciously attacking his lips as a greeting.

What he hadn't gotten used to was referring to her as '_Kage_.' It felt so utterly wrong, as if he couldn't even care enough to learn the name of the woman he was spending all of his time with. He had never been that kind of man, yet she insisted that unless he figure it out himself, her name would remain a mystery.

"Toushiro," she mumbled now, sleepily running a hand up the arm wrapped around her, "I have to go."

He grumbled under his breath as he pulled her closer, refusing to let go, and it made her squirm against his hold.

"I'm serious," she said sternly. "You know I've got another job tonight."

"Can't someone else do it?" he scoffed.

"They're all busy," she replied, shaking her head.

He pushed her flat on her back and lay himself on top. "We're a little busy, too," he retorted, leaning in for a kiss, but she purposely pulled away.

"Don't get me started, because you know I don't know how to stop," she scolded him, pushing on his chest until he sighed roughly and rolled over, allowing her to wiggle out of the bed. He watched her dress speedily under the flaming orange lamplight.

"So, this talisman you're stealing," he finally said. "Is it for someone important?"

She shook her head. "Just some archaeologist who dug it up. This man realized it was really ancient so it would be worth a lot of money, and he nicked it. He lives a little farther out east, so Renji's driving me over there on his way to work." She noticed the sudden smirk cross his lips, and it made her raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head. "Just that, before I met you, the idea of _the_ Farukon no Kage needing a ride to a robbery just seemed...well, ridiculous."

She stuck out her tongue. "Well, _sorry_ I don't live up to your expectations. We can't all be living the dream."

He rolled his eyes, amazed that she always had a come-back to everything he said, but still informed her, "Just so you know, the police did get your tip. Bastard's not turning himself in, so they should be waiting for you."

She bit her lip in thought. "Anything I need to know?"

"Not particularly," he said, stroking his chin in thought. "Only the basics. Guards at each entrance, from what I hear. They're hoping surrounding the place will help them catch you before you go in."

"_That_ again?" she scoffed, clicking her tongue in disapproval. "Are they running out of tricks?"

"I'd say so," he answered honestly. "I think they're hoping you might just slip one of these days, and they could maybe catch a glimpse. Nothing else has worked for them, after all."

"What about the roof, then?" she asked as she zipped up her boots.

"Not guarded. I visited it this morning, and it's too slanted to station officers on for too long. It'd be safest if you can slide inside as quickly as possible rather than lingering, though. I've never trusted the tiles on a slanted roof ever since a little girl in my hometown slid off one and skinned her whole back."

Kage made a face of disgust, recoiling a little at the thought. "Poor girl. Didn't need _that_ visual."

She bent down and kissed his lips before striding over to the window. "Well, thanks anyway, Toushiro. You know I appreciate you." With a careless wave over her shoulder, she hopped off the ledge and onto the branch of the tree planted outside, finally jumping skillfully to the ground. As stealthy as she was, there was no crunching of her boots against the gravel of the sidewalk.

It was something they'd started only a few weeks ago, him helping her out. He'd been reluctant about offering any sort of information about the case at first, and it wasn't as if she'd pushed him to do so, either; in fact, they'd kept any and all talk about her criminal career off-limits when they were together, for it was too touchy a topic when he was the detective hired to capture her once and for all.

But there was something gut-wrenching about waiting for her to show up at the scene, knowing that she wouldn't know just what she was up against. This was especially true on the days the chief decided they needed new tactics to trip her up.

He hadn't really meant to tell her, but just one night he grabbed a hold of her wrist and muttered in her ear, "I'd stay clear of the second floor."

She'd been more than just a little shocked, to say the least, but grateful for his vague advice nonetheless. It took a few more reluctant times before he began to feel comfortable with offering her information, until they had reached this point of complete non-secrecy.

He _still _wasn't sure it was the right thing to do, so firmly rooted in his values was he, but it comforted him to know he was at least helping an innocent victim retrieve what had been taken from them.

_'Just like tonight,'_ he mused to himself, still in bed as he relished the way her lips had felt against his own.

Eventually, when the clock had ticked too much for him to be lazy any longer, he propped himself up. Hastily putting his discarded boxers back on, he hurried to his desk drawer to pull out his laptop and yank it open. If Kage finished quickly enough, she would return to get her fill of him for the second time that night, leaving no time for his special case.

He tapped the back of his hand with his finger impatiently as the laptop finally turned on, and then opened his Internet browser, heading straight for a search engine.

"Karakura..." he muttered as he typed it in. It was something he had been putting off for too long, the workload in the office having suddenly piled up so much since he was handed the Kage case and his nights having become repeatedly preoccupied, and it was a relief to get a chance to finally work on _this_ mystery.

He impatiently scrolled through all the results of his search, his short temper spiraling out of control as he realized there was absolutely no useful information on the clue. All he could find were _numerous_ advertisements for bleach products, which he didn't quite understand.

"What the hell _is_ a Karakura?" he snapped aloud angrily. Kage had given him no further clues, and he had never even heard of such a thing. A small part of him wondered whether she had given him some sort of fake clue, just so she could remain shrouded in mystery, but he quickly brushed that aside; he had learned only a short while ago, after all, that she was _not_ that kind of person.

'_Think, damn it,'_ he ordered himself. If he couldn't find something through his computer, maybe he could relate the clue to something. But what?

Come to think of it...he was from a rather small, isolated town. In fact, it was so small and unknown that when he told people he was born and raised in Rukongai, they simply gazed at him stupidly, not understanding whether that was even an area in the country. There might not even have been any information about it on the computer, as it was so unimportant. He pondered over the possibility for a few moments, and then decided it was worth a shot, as he had no other trails.

Shutting down his computer, he hastily rooted through his closet, knowing he kept maps in there somewhere. It took some digging, but he finally procured a box filled with all sorts of graphs, charts, and maps – things he had set aside when he had no use for them, yet had been unsure whether he would need them in the future.

He unrolled the giant map he had of the blown-up version of Japan, and studied it carefully. Finding '_Rukongai_' was quite easy, but only because he had known where to look. As it turned out, there were _many_ small villages in the country, and they littered the map, overlapping each other and creating a mess of tiny, black words. His heart leaped every time he spotted one that started with the right kanji, and then fell again as he realized it was not what he was looking for.

Finally, impatient as always and running out of precious time, he pulled a magnifying glass out of his desk drawer, determined to find his answer as soon as possible. Running a full diameter around the major cities, he kept his eyes peeled. It seemed logical that a town might need a city close by, to export in the products it might need; that was how Rukongai had worked anyway.

And then, just as he was about to give up hope, he ran the glass around Tokyo. There, he saw it. _Karakura_. Just a tiny little dot on the very outskirts of the city, and yet it brought him such a feeling of joy.

"So it's a town." He peered at it more closely, as if gazing at it for a prolonged time would give him some other clue.

The only thing to do now, it seemed, was decipher its connection with Kage. Of course, the most obvious conclusion would be that it was her hometown, but he liked looking at all possible angles. Perhaps it was the area she had last stayed in, correcting crimes there; however, it didn't make sense for some place so insignificant to have high crime rates like the cities. It _could_ be some place she planned to move _to_, but he doubted it.

"Hometown angle it is," he decided, rolling up his map and stuffing it back in the closet. Well, actually, he rolled it up, placed it carefully in its proper box, and then placed _that_ atop all the other symmetrically piled boxes and containers in his organized closet.

There was no time to continue with his search when, as the special consultant for the Kage case, he had work tonight. Making progress was good enough for now, until he could revisit the mystery and finally learn Kage's well-kept secrets.

It was in a well-pressed suit that he finally made his way out of the bedroom, checking his watch constantly to be sure he would be punctual. There was still an hour until he was needed at the scene of the upcoming crime, but he'd always been the type of man to arrive early.

Until he swung open his front door, and found both Kyouraku and Ukitake on the other side, poised to knock.

"Hitsugaya!" his brunette friend boomed, easily swinging an arm around his neck. "Long time, no see!"

"Kyouraku," he grunted, instantly pulling out of his chokehold to breathe. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean, what are we doing here?" the man tutted, brushing past him and inviting himself into the house. When even Ukitake followed him in, Toushiro knew it was pointless to drag them back. "We haven't seen you in _months, _if you haven't noticed. Too busy for us?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," he replied coolly, shutting the door behind them. "I was on my way to work just now. There's some place I have to be by eight."

"Oh, there's plenty of time to talk until then!" Waving away any objections he might have had, Kyouraku did a sweep of his home, wandering through first the living room, and then the kitchen and dining area. Everything was perfectly in its place, just as he remembered it to be, and it seemed the detective hadn't been hit with any bursts of desire to redecorate in that time, either.

"We just wanted to see you, Shiro-chan," Ukitake explained delicately. "There hasn't been any opportunity for us to spend time together, especially now that you're so busy with your new case."

He sighed, because his fair-headed friend had always been good at pulling at his heart strings. "It can't be helped. There are places I have to be and things I have to keep safe–"

"And you haven't been doing a very good job of it, from what the news says," Kyouraku cut in slyly. "_Which_, by the way, is the only way we get to hear about anything going on in your life these days."

Toushiro gritted his teeth at the jab, well aware that the whole country thought he was slacking at his job. Unlike what his one-hundred percent success rate stated, he'd proved useless in capturing Kage so far, a fact the news stations had been gladly broadcasting to the rest of the world. It made even Soi-Fon look bad, as it was her idea to turn to him in the first place. No one else had any way to know that he was no longer _trying _to capture Kage, at least not to the best of his ability, and so she remained at large because of his choosing. For that reason, he kept his mouth shut even through all the slander.

But what Kyouraku had tacked on was the truth. He hadn't seen his friends for months, not even spoken to them through phone calls, so it was no surprise they relied on the evening news to know what their old friend was up to. It was enough to make him feel guilty for ignoring even those who cared about him.

"Well, all right," he finally gave in, though not without heaving his shoulders as if he was taking on some great burden. It only made them grin. "I guess I could spare some time to talk, but only for a little while."

"That's the spirit!" Kyouraku thumped him on the back, almost knocking him over from his bulkiness. "And while we're here, how about giving me back that book I lent you, hm? Just because we haven't seen each other in months, it doesn't mean you get to keep it forever."

"So you had a hidden agenda," the detective muttered sullenly under his breath as he followed them both upstairs, and they chuckled as they led the way to his bedroom, where they knew he kept all of his books.

"It wasn't our first priority when we came to see you, though," Ukitake assured him in good nature. It was impossible to stay angry when he flashed such a kind smile anyone's way. "Why don't you tell us how things have been going for you?"

"I'd rather just hear what's happening with you," he mumbled, in no mood to share anything when so many aspects of his life currently were shrouded in mystery.

But Kyouraku suddenly marched to the other side of his room with a purpose, grabbing something off his dresser and rebutting, "_No, _I'd rather hear what's going on with you. These aren't _yours, _right?"

In his hands was a pair of small, diamond stud earrings.

Toushiro froze, panic seizing him in an instant. They belonged to Kage, no doubt, and if he worked his excellent memory to its full advantage, he definitely remembered her wearing them earlier in the night. It was common practice for her to take off any accessories, usually small earrings, and leave them in his room, afraid that they would glint in the moonlight during her recovery and give away her position. He just hadn't realized that tonight she'd left them on his dresser, in plain sight.

"Was there a girl here?" Ukitake asked in surprise, but there was definitely an inkling of excitement in his voice. It had been so long since the detective had given any thought to women – aside from the murderous kind.

"That's what it looks like, doesn't it?" he answered slowly. "I had a co-worker drop by–"

"But then why is the bed messed up?" his usually kind friend, now devious in the light of the situation, interrupted.

The bed actually wasn't untidy, but it was wrinkled and unaligned enough to implicate that something had certainly happened on it. Toushiro, after all, was the kind of man who liked everything in its proper place, the first floor they'd just seen being prime evidence, and as such, had never left his bed in any state less than perfect. Now, however, it looked as if he'd roughly yanked one end of his blanket to cover the mattress in his haste – which was exactly what he'd done.

Kyouraku's eyes widened, lighted with euphoric glee as he came to an understanding. "You _hooked up_ with someone!"

"I did not!" Toushiro tried vehemently to deny, but it was futile. His friends had already begun rummaging through his room, hoping they could find some other slip-up. "Oi, stop that!"

"Not until you admit to it," Ukitake replied with a joyous laugh, shutting one dresser drawer and opening another.

"There's _nothing _to admit," he insisted, the words an impatient snarl, courtesy of his temper.

"Then what's this?" Kyouraku's delighted voice rang through the bedroom, sounding extremely pleased with himself. Just like with the earrings, he held up the evidence for the others in the room to see. This time, he dangled a pair of bright red panties between his fingers.

Silence overtook the three of them. Ukitake flushed a bright red at the sight of the garment, but no one was more mortified than Toushiro himself.

"I found them hanging on the bathroom hook," Shunsui went on to explain. "There was a shirt over them. Trying to hide them from us, hm?"

"Th-That's not..." It was impossible to get the words out as he spluttered dumbly, and Shunsui raised both eyebrows.

"Oh, no. Don't think you can talk your way out of this one." He tossed the panties to the detective, leaving his hand free to wag his finger at him. "No way out of it now, Hitsugaya. We demand to meet this girl."

He ducked his head and mumbled, "It's not that simple."

"Then _make _it that simple." He pushed Ukitake out the door by the back of his shoulders, because the man couldn't seem to stop scratching his face to hide his blush. "We're not asking for a lot here, just a dinner. And now we're leaving because you technically haven't refused, and we're not giving you a chance to."

"Wha – I _do _refuse," he cried after them, sticking his head out the bedroom door.

"Can't hear you!" Shunsui hollered from somewhere downstairs. "I'll call you with the details."

"Don't get your hopes up," he snapped back. "There's no guarantee _she'll _even say yes!"

**.. ღ ..**

"You didn't have to say yes," Toushiro hissed out the corner of his mouth, his eyes narrowed bitterly on his watch as he attempted to clasp it on his wrist.

"You kidding?" Kage grinned beside him. "A night out with your buddies? Sounds like bunches of fun!"

She was dressed in clothing that was actually _not _black – a first in months. Instead, she had donned a deep purple dress that stopped at her knees, and she looked quite nice. If he hadn't known of her true identity, she would have just been someone he overlooked on the street, and he supposed her ability to blend into a crowd was one of Kage's strengths. There was no one who could have looked at her now, tugging on the straps of her heels more securely as they walked, and even considered the possibility that she was a criminal mastermind.

"They're going to ask you things," he warned her for the hundredth time, brooding when the restaurant came into view. "And they'll be watching you like a hawk."

"Lucky I'm _very _good under pressure, then." With a cheeky smirk, she grabbed his arm and dragged him the rest of the distance, so he couldn't run away like he so badly wanted to.

His friends were already at their table when they arrived, and even Nanao sat next to Shunsui's arm, looking mildly bored as they waited. All three of them stood up when their company arrived.

"So this is her!" Kyouraku exclaimed eagerly, taking one of her hands into both of his own. "And I was wondering just what kind of girl could put up with our boring, old Hitsugaya over here."

She smiled in response, but no one could have missed the twinkle in her eyes. "Actually, I find him to be not boring at all."

"Well, I would hope not," Ukitake replied with a soft smile. He exchanged polite bows with her, like she and Nanao did as well; no one else at the table was as touchy-feely as Kyouraku.

Customary to formal introductions, each of them offered their own names before glancing at her pointedly, and without missing a single beat, she smiled and said, "I'm Hayata Yukiji."

The lie came off her tongue easily. She was used to inventing new identities, and he wondered whether she had decided on a fake name since before she'd even shown up at his door.

"So it's Yukiji." Kyouraku took her hands in his grasp again. "Nice to finally have a name."

"It's very pretty," Ukitake complimented her, and as was the effect he had on even the usually-crabby Hitsugaya, she couldn't resist flashing another smile his way.

Admist the chatter, Toushiro noticed when Nanao shot her a strange look.

"You look very familiar, though," the fair-haired man continued when they were seated, the couple sitting across from the other three at the round table. With such a clear vantage point, he scrutinized her carefully, the answer at the tip of his tongue. "Have we met before?"

"I know!" his best friend boomed. "It's hard to tell since the last time we saw you, almost your entire face was covered, but there's no mistaking those eyes. You're the dancer from the Moroccan restaurant, aren't you?"

Toushiro stiffened, his heart hammering in his chest. It had entirely slipped his mind that his two college friends had "met" her before, and he silently cursed. Kage, meanwhile, looked completely at ease.

As Ukitake nodded along in agreement, seemingly astonished by the realization of who she was, Kyouraku explained knowingly to Nanao, "I told you about that night, remember? That Hitsugaya couldn't keep his eyes off one of the dancers." Leaning over, he clapped the rigid detective on the back. "Never knew you were such a smooth dog!"

Toushiro flushed under all the looks, stealthily shooting Kage a side-along glare as she smothered a laugh behind her hand. The jokes at his expense lasted them until their food arrived, and it was only when the dinner had lulled their moods that they finally settled into their chairs, relaxed in the company.

Then, the questions started. He'd known they would be coming, that both men took great pleasure in testing every girl he introduced to them, and it was something he'd warned her about multiple times since she'd agreed to the meeting.

To her credit, Kage was collected under their scrutiny, not even stumped when they pried into her childhood or her dating history, asking every personal question they could think of. She calmly made up stories about her family, of a loving mother, an overexcited father, a sullen older brother, and even a twin sister. The tale continued on to high school, where she recalled a story about receiving a confession and being unable to go on their date because of personal reasons, and how the experience had taught her that some things were more important than fickle romances. She spoke of a fun aunt who loved drinking and overprotective uncles and wimpy childhood friends whom she loved to death and looked after as if they were her own children. She created a grand tale about a normal life with a normal family and a normal past.

Through it all, Toushiro wondered just how much of the things she'd said were lies.

Kyouraku and Ukitake, at least, seemed to approve. They nodded along with her stories, laughing when she shared her brother's bed-wetting secret and pursing their lips in understanding when she relived having to study for college exams.

"What made you want to become a dancer?" Ukitake finally asked curiously, much later when their dessert had arrived.

She played the part perfectly, flushing at the question as if secretly embarrased. "Oh, that's not my real job," she admitted. "I was just filling in for a friend of mine who had hurt herself."

"What do you really do?" he asked in surprise, leaning towards her.

"I work at a museum across town." Toushiro looked at her sharply, but she paid him no mind. "I help the owners collect artifacts and date them and make them ready for show."

_"Really?" _Kyouraku also leaned forward in interest. "Do you get to travel?"

"All over the place." She smirked, and he knew at least that much was the truth.

"Well, tell us about it! It sounds a hell of a lot more interesting than my boring office job!"

Eyes sparkling, she immediately launched into a description of her duties, and even the types of artifacts she had seen and personally handled. She listed names and dates and facts that weren't just common knowledge, and certainly would not be information just anyone would have memorized.

Toushiro could only listen along in awe. He'd never known she had such an extensive command over history, even despite the kinds of items she recovered; it wasn't as if getting paid to steal something equated to knowing all about its ancient history, after all. Rather, she spoke like someone who had mastered the subject, someone who truly worked in the field, and there was even a certain _glint _in her eyes that none of them missed as she went off on a tangent. She was almost bursting with excitement over the job she'd imagined for herself.

"I don't think there's anyone who loves their job as much as you do," Ukitake teased with a kind chuckle, and if she'd been someone capable of it, she might have flushed.

"Well, I've always liked history," she admitted, and that was another fact Toushiro could now tell was absolutely the truth.

They let her carry on with her description, since she was enjoying herself so much, and leaned in to give her their full attention. Vaguely, Toushiro registered that this was the first time a woman had so whole-heartedly won over his friends, and if he hadn't been so infatuated with witnessing her love for history, he might have realized that the straight-laced girlfriend of his womanizing schoolmate begged to differ.

Throughout the entire dinner, Nanao had been silent.

...

Dinner ended without event, much to his surprise, and he could barely believe he was walking home with Kage, unscathed.

"Those friends of yours are great," she said, skipping further ahead as her heels clicked against the sidewalk. "Don't know what they're thinking, hanging out with a boring guy like you."

"You told them you thought I wasn't boring," he reminded her, picking up his pace to keep up, and she laughed.

"Obviously that was a lie so that they would like me," she teased him, nudging his side with her shoulder.

"Mmm." He grimaced. "And exactly how much of what you said was a lie, anyway?"

One end of her mouth lifted up into a soft smile, and she glanced at him from the corners of her eyes. "Maybe I'll tell you. Someday."

He tucked his hands into his pockets, tensing his shoulders when a warm breeze rushed past them. The silence that followed was nice as they both looked at the passing scenery with interest. It had surprised him to know that under all her cheeky tricks and witty come-backs, Kage was also the kind of woman who appreciated silence. She had layers, some just as insufferable and immature, and others uncharacteristically deep. There were many things he didn't know about her, it seemed.

_'Speaking of...'_

"Earlier..." he broached the topic carefully. "When Ukitake asked you about work, and you said you worked at a museum..."

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" She chuckled, hugging her bare arms to herself. "I didn't want them asking when they could come see my next show or something."

"Well, that's all fine. I was actually just..._surprised _at how knowledgeable you seemed about the job you made up. Excited, too." He raised an inquisitive eyebrow, because despite the innocent way he had phrased his wording, he knew there was meaning hidden behind what he'd observed.

She answered with a sheepish look that dissolved into a sad smile, and it took another pause before she finally shared. "Well, I thought about it once, you know – that if I ever quit being Kage, that would be the kind of job I wanted."

He blinked at her in shock. She'd never shared any of her hopes or dreams or fears with him before, or spoken of anything not strictly related to their work. So even the great _Kage_ had days when she thought of quitting, a notion he never would have thought of himself before they'd struck up their unorthodox relationship.

"It was just something stupid," she carried on, and this time when she chuckled, it was a sound dripping in regret. "I mean, I _chose _this life. I've never told you that before, have I? That everyone I knew was against it, but I insisted. Just sometimes it gets to be a little much, and you start thinking about things – about 'what ifs.' I bet I would have liked that job."

He watched her carefully, while she slowly pieced back her facade and joked, "Okay, things are getting a little serious." With a wide grin, she nudged him again. "It's all in the past, anyway, so could we lighten things up a little?"

And he caved, because he didn't know _how _to deal with this new side of her just yet, especially when she'd made clear that she wasn't open to discussion about it. He wasn't exactly a social person, but rather a coward that ran away from uncomfortable situations until he'd analyzed every possible angle and decided on the best way to deal with the issue. Plenty of people had told him that.

"Well, my friends certainly liked you," he changed the topic, for both their sakes. "They'll be telling everyone I have a girlfriend." Hands still tucked away, he shot her a nonchalant glance. "So, are you?"

"What, your girlfriend?" She smirked, linking her arm through his. "I prefer not to put a label on things."

He shrugged, relenting easily. "Fair enough. I probably don't know enough about you to be considered a boyfriend. We're not that serious, anyway, right?"

"Right. Just a criminal mastermind and the detective hired to capture her, in a _casual _relationship that they have to hide from the rest of the world if they don't want to be imprisoned for eternity. But still, just casual."

She laughed again, and they made quite a pair walking down the sidewalk with linked arms.

...

Meanwhile, Kyouraku and Nanao sent a weary-looking Ukitake home in a taxi cab, waving goodbye as they claimed they preferred taking a moonlit walk after their dinner. Once the cab had pulled away, he happily took one of her hands in his own – which she promptly slapped away, grumbling about public displays of affection – and they started towards their apartment.

Kyouraku sighed contently. "Well, that was nice. I liked Yukiji."

Nanao said nothing on the matter, which prompted him to shoot her a worried glance and state, "You were quiet tonight, my lovely Nanao-chan. Something bothering you that I can kiss better?"

She expertly pushed away his face, not even needing to look after years of deflecting his attention, and pursed her lips in thought. "Just thinking about Yukiji."

"Did you not like her?"

"Oh, I liked her just fine. Under normal conditions, I think we would have gotten along splendidly."

"And tonight's dinner wasn't normal?" There was an amused smile touching his lips, but beneath it, his eyes glinted in all seriousness.

"Something about her just seemed...off." She heaved a sigh that jostled her shoulders. "Her name bothered me."

"What about her name?"

She didn't miss the lingering smile in his question, and shot him a glare. "Well, it was just a _strange _name, don't you think? Have you ever met anyone with a name like that?"

"Can't say I have," he answered, rubbing his chin as if in thought.

"Exactly. It's a very uncommon name, don't you think? Old-fashioned, too."

"Maybe her parents named her after someone?" he offered.

"Maybe...but don't you think that would have come up in conversation? I'm sure her parents would have told her about her namesake if they were important enough to name a daughter after, and any normal person would probably have brought it up while introducing themselves."

"My Nanao-chan is so cute when she plays detective," Kyouraku crooned, trying to plant another kiss on her.

She whipped her head towards him, eyes narrowed, and hissed, "This is _serious. _Even Hitsugaya-san was acting strange. He seemed to be hanging on to every word she said, just like us, as if he was hearing it all for the first time, too. And did you notice that he never once called her by name?"

"I _did _notice."

She faltered, dumbstruck by the confession. "Y-You did?"

He flashed her his usual sloppy smile, but now that she looked more closely at his face, she could see the gravity in the lines of his expression for herself. No matter what anyone said about his lazy work ethics, Nanao had learned long ago that he was actually much more cunning than what met the eye. He simply hid it well, so others let down their guards and allowed him to weasel his way into their hearts and spilled important secrets to a man they trusted for s split second of foolishness. He was quite frightening in that aspect.

When he said nothing more after his admission, she continued hesitantly, "I don't want to jump to conclusions, of course."

"Of course."

"And Hitsugaya-san is smarter than most people, so I'm sure he would have noticed these things for himself if he thought they were important."

Shunsui had finally taken a hold of her hand, using her distraction to his advantage so she didn't even pull away; instead, she easily leaned into his side, still lost in her thoughts.

"And it could have been for an innocent reason, but..." She pursed her lips in worry. "I think, whoever that woman was, that wasn't her real name."

**.. ღ ..**

It was weeks later when Toushiro finally made a break in his special case.

In that time, Kage had successfully reclaimed three more artifacts, the chief had chewed out both him and her team no less than twelve times, and both Kyouraku and Shunsui had called him multiple times to inquire about how things were holding up between him and his girlfriend.

Those phone calls usually came when he was _with _Kage, however, and while she thought their impeccable and probably far from coincidental timing was quite hilarious, he was less than amused by the entire charade. It was why he played off what seemed like a slightly brittle tone from Kyouraku as his own irritation; if he sounded a little too subdued, the detective simply chose not to notice.

"Stop calling," he usually snapped into the receiver, slamming the phone down as his lover smothered her laugh into a pillow beside him.

Through all the mayhem that his life had become, though, it never once slipped his mind that he had an important name he had yet to uncover. While Kage threw her arm over his waist and slept peacefully on his chest, he spent hours awake and staring at the ceiling in the darkness, running his fingers through her hair and pondering over what route to take his case next.

It tooks hours upon hours of searching personal records of all the citizens that lived in Karakura, as well as both birth and death certificates – all of which required him to use the police database available to him at the office, and then "borrowing" a computer to continue his search at home. The city library had newspapers saved that were dated years back, all of which now sat in his closet after he'd briefed through headline after headline.

It was a newspaper he flipped through now, a magnifying glass in one hand that he often used so that nothing slipped past him.

Karakura, he'd discovered, wasn't exactly a town that could support many families. It had just one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school, as well as a single grocery store and library. The more he read on, the more Toushiro was beginning to doubt his previous breakthrough; it was almost impossible to imagine a woman as conniving and disorderly as Kage coming from such a quaint, peaceful town.

But then, just as he was about to give up on himself, he came across the Kurosaki family.

There was a single newspaper article about a gas explosion that had once killed dozens of people, and as he grazed over the names of those that had died, he found himself focusing on this particular family more than any other. Neighbors had given memoirs about the lives that had been lost, and there was something familiar about the Kurosaki's: a loving mother, albeit one that had been murdered too early in her life, an overexcited father, a sullen older bother, and even a pair of twin girls.

_'Such sweet girls they were, too,' _someone had recounted to the journalist. _'They were always together, even though they were complete opposites. Yuzu-chan was always smiling and laughing with the others, while Karin-chan was much quieter, but they were so cute when they were together. Such a shame.'_

Toushiro straightened in his seat, poring over the article. The entire family had apparently perished in the explosion, but being a detective meant he knew how easy it was for someone to tweak the facts just a little – like faking the death of someone who needed to hide from the world.

By the time Kage arrived that night, he had looked up all he could about the Kurosaki family, though most of their records had mysteriously vanished or were simply impossible to access. It only made him more sure of his answer.

She hopped through the window like always, twisting her arms around his neck and leaning against his back. "Watcha looking at?"

He shut his laptop screen, tilting back his head to smirk at her. "I've just won our bet."

"Oh?" She raised an interested eyebrow, releasing him from her hold so she could sit on his bed. "And I thought you'd forgotten all about it, with how long you were taking."

He rolled his eyes at the gibe. "There wasn't a time limit. Besides, that hint of yours was hardly helpful. It took me months just to figure out what it meant."

"But you did," she refuted. "Now I'm _dying_ to know your answer. Remember, you only get one try."

Wind swept through the open window and ruffled the curtains as they faced each other. She sat with folded arms and folded legs on his bed, challenging him with the defiant look in her eyes. His gaze, in return, was calculating as he watched her closely from his desk chair, trying to look past her cool act to find any sense of anxiety about the situation. The whole moment was more dramatic than it had any business being.

"Your name," he finally declared, "is Kurosaki Yuzu."

There was silence after his proclamation. Kage froze at the mention of the name, which he took as a sign in his favor, but then she folded her arms and clicked her tongue in a _tch._

"And you were so close," she taunted, dashing all his hopes. "Sorry, but only one of those two names is right."

He threw his head back and groaned over all his work now gone down the drain. She snickered, bouncing off the bed and making her way back over to him, where she laid her forehead against his.

"How exactly did you pick that name?" she asked.

His eyes were still closed in exhaustion as he answered. "There were two girls in that family, and from all the recounts I read, Yuzu seemed more like you; she liked to laugh and be around other people, they said."

_"Ah." _The sound was almost amused as she knocked her fist against his temple. "You forgot to take into account that people can change."

He finally snapped his eyes open and gazed deeply into hers, and she could see the curiosity in his depths. The Kage he'd always known was sly and playful and took great pleasure in tripping him up just to see him flustered, so it was difficult to imagine her any other way. He'd let his own personal bias get in the way. But now he wondered, just how much had she changed before she became the woman with him today?

It was not a question for tonight, however, especially when she looked away like she didn't want him to ask. Instead, he licked his lips and wondered, "So, now what?"

"Well," she mused, "I _do _remember us making a little wager. If you win, I show you where I live, and if _I_ win, you do one of my jobs, remember?" She puckered her lips in thought. "The only problem is that you were half right and half wrong."

"So we do neither?" he suggested, but he knew that was too good to be true.

"Where's the fun in that?" She flashed him a mischievous grin, cupping his cheeks while their foreheads were still pressed firmly together. "We need a compromise that benefits both of us, since we both technically won the game."

He grimaced. "So we'll..."

"Yup." Her grin only grew wider. "We'll do _both_."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I hope you all appreciated the 'Karakura-bleach ads' joke I sneaked in there :P I couldn't help it!

So, as you could probably tell from this chapter, we've reached the part in the story where the next few chapters will focus a little more on their personal relationship. After that, I plan to finally resolve their work dilemma, and then _hopefully_ I can easily transition this story to its end. It's really not that far now :)

And lastly, during my ridiculously long absence, this story reached 100 reviews! Thank you soooo much for the support, you guys. It's unbelievable that I went from getting six-seven reviews average for each chapter to getting _twenty-nine_ for the last one (though that was probably because I was gone so long, haha). Either way, I appreciate each and every one of you – so let's get through this together! ):D


	12. Chapter 7

**A/N: **And I've returned! I _think _this update came sooner than last time? Maybe you guys know better than me.

Well, you can thank my current obsession with _Veronica Mars _for this update. A mystery/detective show with a cynical and witty female lead who always has a comeback? It got me thinking of this story a _lot,_ and I was finally inspired to finish this chapter :)

I dedicate this chapter to the awesome ladies of **MeteorLeopard, **who are both so good to me and have been patiently waiting for this update :)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.**

* * *

><p>"Did you really think that I would let you, a complete novice, take over one of <em>my <em>recoveries?"

He glared over at Kage, who lounged on a lawn chair as she watched him roughly yank up his sleeves to his elbows. He'd done the same to the bottom of his pants, and discarded the blazer and tie that went with his suit. This would get messy.

"Don't harm the pipes!" Kage bellowed when he began poking at the gutter with the hose, trying to balance himself on the rickety ladder she'd pulled out of her shed.

"You know, it's funny," he hissed, basically stabbing at everything in sight through his irritation. "When I agreed to that bet, I really didn't expect to end up clearing your gutter of wet, mucky leaves."

She laughed from down below, the sound like a tinkling bell. "My aunt is paying me to do it instead of her, so technically, it _is _one of my jobs," she repeated for what would possibly have been the hundredth time. It was her justification every time he started to sulk, though the only reason he did so was because he knew she was _right. _Damn word choice.

"Well, then, this isn't exactly a fair compromise," he grumbled, still brooding slightly as mud splattered onto his arm.

"Sure it is," she refuted. "I did show you where I live. You just don't know how to get here." There was conceit in her voice at having wormed a loop hole in their arrangement, and the smirk on her lips reminded him very much of their meeting a few hours ago, when she'd jumped in through his window and all but whisked him away.

He'd just gotten home from work that afternoon, and amidst putting away his watch and preparing to change, she'd hopped over his window ledge and twisted her arms around his neck from behind.

"You free for the day?" she breathed against his ear.

"I suppose," was his weary reply, and all he wanted was to collapse on his bed and just bask in a moment of silence.

Kage, however, had other plans – as always.

"Let's go, then!" she exclaimed right before he found his arms tied behind his back, and he realized she had bound his wrists with some sort of cloth.

"O-Oi!" he protested feebly, barely registering the situation through his shock. Next, she wound something over his eyes, tying it behind his head and effectively cutting off his vision.

"What the _hell –_"

"Okay, now, walk," she ordered calmly, leading him out the door by his arm since he couldn't see for himself. She helped him into a car, buckling him in securely so that he couldn't slither free and untie the bindings himself, and then slid into the driver's seat herself. It was all very bizarre.

"Where exactly are you taking me?" he demanded, feeling his body jerk back as she sped off.

"You haven't already forgotten about our bet, have you?" she teased, making a right turn somewhere. "It hasn't even been a day."

"You're taking me to your house? _Now?_" he asked, incredulously. She took another turn, this time to the left. "And the blindfold and the bindings?"

"A fetish." He almost choked at the response, and she erupted into laughter. "Kidding, kidding, of course. It's just so that you can't see how to get there. A precaution, or else my family will kill me. No one else should be home all afternoon today, so this is actually the perfect time."

He raised an eyebrow, though she probably didn't see it. _So she does live with other people. An entire organization?_

"Sneaking around the deal, are you?"

"Hey, I'm still holding up my end of the bargain," she defended herself. "The deal never said I had to give you directions."

"Fair point," he relented, and with the confusion having worn off, they lapsed into silence.

He had a feeling she made unnecessary turns and possibly drove in circles to throw him off, so he couldn't memorize the way or visualize their path in the darkness. It was a smart move on her part, because he found his head spinning from all the sharp turns and zig-zag paths, draining him of any concentration he could have spared to the task. He _did _notice that the drive was fairly long, and wondered whether that was all attributed to her driving scheme, or whether she actually came this far every day just to see him.

Eventually, the hectic drive mellowed out to a long, straight path, and he was keenly aware of the sounds of the city quieting down until civilization had completely been left behind. When they stopped, anticipation coiled in his stomach.

She ran around to help him out of the car, and as she pulled him away from his seat, she hummed in his ear. "It's kind of sweet, you know. It didn't even cross your mind that I possibly lied, tied you up, and brought you to the middle of nowhere, away from people, to do something horror movie-ish?" There was a smile in her voice. "I never realized you had started trusting me so much."

Lips came down on his, and when she pulled away, she took his blindfold with her.

Hitsugaya slowly opened his eyes, and before him stood the place Kage called home.

"It's...big," he commented, running his eyes over the large house and wondering whether there were as many rooms as there were windows he could see.

She grinned. "Well, it's gotta be, to fit all of us."

He nodded absentmindedly, his attention still on his inspection of her home. It was much more quaint than he would have expected of someone as spontaneous as Kage. There were chips in the walls here and there to show that the building was both old and had been lived in for a long time, but the paint looked fresh enough to express that the people who lived here definitely took care of their home. Even the grass and trees surrounding them were well kept, and he tried unsuccessfully to picture Kage wearing thick gloves and a floppy hat, tending to the garden on the weekends.

"You can stare at it all you want later," she suddenly interrupted his thoughts, taking him by the arm and dragging him around the side of the building. "There's actually another reason I brought you here." He shot her a questioning look as he stumbled after her, and she smirked wickedly. "Remember your end of the bargain?"

His heart leaped all the way up to his throat, and he had to swallow the lump several times before managing to ask, "You can't mean that you _already_ have a..._job_ for me?"

"That's exactly what I mean, detective," she confirmed cheerfully, leading the way towards a rusty shed standing in their back garden. She stopped right next to it and slapped the small structure. "This right here is where we keep all the tools you'll need."

Even as his fingers shook, he had to do a double-take at the sight of it. This dainty, old shed was where the infamous Kage kept all her tools for her recovery? He hadn't expected some high-tech lab or anything, but he'd still pictured something a little less pathetic.

Kage looked at him as if she was in on some inside joke he hadn't been clued into, and he instantly felt like he was missing something. Perhaps, he mused, the shed was simply a cover to ward off suspicion, and they'd take a staircase down to some underground lab with much more usable equipment.

When she opened it, however, he found himself looking at just any old, run-of-the-mill tool shed, complete with a dingy, flickering light bulb and cobwebs on the ceiling. Kage wasted no time in tossing him a rolled up hose and dragging out a small step ladder.

"This way," she told him pointedly, leading the way to the back of the house with a smirk on her face.

Since then, he'd been stuck with gutter duty. Apparently the rainstorm from last week had clogged up the house drain with dirt and leaves, and no one wanted the task of cleaning it. The chore had landed in Kage's aunt's unwilling lap, who had promptly passed it on to her niece with a small payment as a bribe. And Kage had apparently seen him as the perfect chump to do it _for _her.

"_This _is my job?" he'd asked incredulously, wondering if he should feel cheated or relieved.

"Get to it, short stuff," she'd quipped, giving his rear a firm slap as she passed him by on her way to grab a lawn chair, where she now sat as she watched him work.

"Was this your plan all along?" he grumbled now, jabbing at the remaining leaves with a wand. "To trick me into doing your chores?"

"We-ell," she mused, "it wasn't like I had a clogged up gutter handy when I _made _the bet. But I sure as hell never planned on letting an amateur make one of _my _recoveries. There's no way I can trust you not to screw up." The shit-eating grin on her face had him almost throwing the wand in his hand at her, but he resisted.

"I definitely feel cheated," he decided, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Hey, I kept up my end of the bargain!" she refuted, holding her arms out at her side as if to gesture at the general vicinity. "Welcome to my home, sweet home!"

"And will I be allowed inside at any point?" he asked coolly.

"Of course," she replied easily, and he paused. "As soon as you're done up there. You'll probably need a shower." She wrinkled her nose in disgust at all the muck that had gotten on his shirt, but Hitsugaya's mind was reeling.

When he'd been tricked into this task, he hadn't thought she would actually let him _inside _her home at some point. This situation could actually be salvageable for him in that case; all he needed was a chance to poke around and see if he could find any incriminating evidence or proof of who Kage was behind the shadows, or even some inkling of how she managed her recoveries without so much as a trace left behind.

Then, he paused.

Did he _want _to send his maybe-sort-of girlfriend off to jail?

_No._

"Now you're making me kind of feel bad," Kage's voice suddenly broke him out of his reverie, and he gladly put those traitorous thoughts _– __what _was he _thinking? __– _to the back of his mind.

"I don't want you thinking of me as someone who tricks people to get out of bets," she continued, a thoughtful look on her face. "Tell you what." She smiled at him encouragingly. "You're free to ask me anything you want while you finish up, and I'll answer."

He licked his dry lips. "Anything?"

"Anything I'd be okay with answering," she corrected herself. "You understand why I can't give you free range just yet."

He made a small grunting noise in understanding, then turned back to his task. "So...this aunt of yours. Is she really your aunt?"

"Nope," she replied. "Mmm...kind of a foster mom of sorts, I guess?"

"What about all the other people you live with?"

"Also my foster family."

"Why are you living with a foster family?" he asked. "Do you have any family left alive?"_  
><em>

There was a brief but thick silence, and then she answered, "...No."

He turned back, expecting to see hurt on her face that he was _positive _he had heard in her voice, but she was back to smirking up at him as she waited for his next question. He still ducked his head a bit in shame as he looked back at the gutter.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "That question was a bit insensitive."

"I wouldn't have answered if I wasn't comfortable with it, remember?" she assured him. "Is that all you want to ask?"

He scoffed. "Of course not. Where did you go to school?"

"Here," was her vague reply, but they both knew it gave away a lot. All he would have to do was find a suspicious student in the directories for all the schools in the area. Then again, he assumed she had most likely erased all traces of herself that she could have, so it wouldn't be an easy task. The answer gave away just as little as it did a lot.

"Did you go to college?"

"I did."

"I assume you used a different name than the one you would have used in high school?"

_"Maybe,"_ she sang playfully.

"Well, when did you get into this Kage business?" It was actually something he'd been extremely curious about, though he had never found the chance to ask. At what age did someone qualify to become one of the nation's most sought after criminals?

"You're gonna have to be more specific," she said with a shrug. "You mean when did I discover that my family was part of this business? Or, when did _I _become interested in it? Or when did I start training? Or when did I do my first job? Or when did the police and the media start calling me 'Kage?'"

He blinked a bit dumbly, surprised that his question was so loaded. But she'd let something slip just now: it was her family who had first started thieving, and they had been the ones to bring her into the business. He wasn't sure if that would be useful to him one day, but he still filed away that information. If anything, it made him feel better to know she'd been strung along rather than orchestrated the whole thing.

"Um, how about all of them?" he suggested.

She frowned a little, but still complied with his request. "I discovered my family was doing this, became interested myself, _and _started training, when I was nine. Did my first solo job at fifteen. Not sure when the police started calling me Kage, though. It's definitely been a few years."

_'So young,' _he marveled, his eyes widening a bit. Then again, _he'd _gotten involved in all this detective work at a pretty young age as well, but it was a bit different.

"You said 'solo job,'" he pointed out. "Who did you used to go on these recoveries with?"

She snorted at that. "Nice try, bud." He shrugged sheepishly as if to say, _I had to try. _She folded her arms and scoffed. "And don't think I haven't noticed that you finished a while ago, and that you've been pretending to still work just so you can keep asking me questions. Leave the sneakiness to me, why don't you, Toushiro?"

He descended the ladder sheepishly now that he'd been caught in the act.

She got out of her chair and poked his cheek when he was close enough. "Yuck, you're all dirty. You need to wash up."

"Who's the reason?" he grumbled, pulling a wet leaf off his arm, and she laughed.

"Shower first, and then the tour, as promised," she decided, gesturing towards the house. "And _maybe _a few more questions, _if_ I can ever trust you again."

He just rolled his eyes at her teasing as she finally let him into her secret home.

**.. ღ ..**

The interior of Kage's home was even more homely than the exterior. The day was just _full _of surprises.

The living room was quaint and packed with worn out furniture, and the newly polished stairs creaked as they walked up to the second floor. He saw no pictures on the walls, though there were quite a few paintings to brighten up the place. Kage stopped at the first door on their left and threw the door open.

"And _this" _–__ she brandished her arms at the room in an exaggerated motion _– _"is my _lovely _room!"

Hitsugaya paused at the door to take it all in, both surprised and _not _surprised at all by her bedroom. It was almost completely bare, as he would have expected of someone as simple as Kage, but it was undoubtedly strange that there was not _one _single personal belonging in her own room. There were no pictures, no photos on the tables, not even a photo album or scrap book on the shelf. He couldn't see any sign at all that she might have grown up in this room, because there were no school works from her preschool or elementary days in sight, and there was nothing as far as he could see that hinted at any of her hobbies. The most personal thing that he could see was the books on the shelves, all about history judging by the titles, but even though he knew how much she liked history, he also knew they were probably necessary for her jobs.

But her _walls._

Splashes of blue and purple and pink surrounded them from all four edges of the room, haphazardly splashed with paint to give color to the room.

"Like it?" she asked, grinning when she noticed how much he was staring. "Color is something you have to get used to when you live with me."

He filed that information away for future reference, though he tried not to think about why he would need to.

Instead, he wondered whether he could find an opportunity to look inside her drawers. There could have been clues inside them about her identity, but he couldn't look with her standing right there.

"Now, let's get you in the shower," she carried on, playfully wrinkling up her nose again. With a wag of her finger, she beckoned him to follow her into the bathroom.

He _wasn't_ prepared for her to suddenly latch onto his shirt and start unbuttoning her way down the trail of buttons.

He recoiled, but mostly just from the surprise. "Um?"

Her answering smirk was amused. "Just gonna throw these in the wash for you. Or do you _want _to go home with this stuff all over you?" She mildly gestured towards the mud splattered along his sleeves. "Besides," she purred, trailing a finger up his chest, "it's nothing I haven't seen before."

She held out a hand expectantly, and he undressed without hesitation, handing her his clothes with quietly mumbled gratitude.

She waved over her shoulder on her way out, and he gladly jumped under the running water, mentally preparing himself for whatever twists Kage would throw at him for the rest of the day.

_..._

Once she'd tossed his dirty clothes into the laundry machine, Karin rummaged through Kira's closet to find Toushiro a new pair of clothes. After Hanatarou and Rin, who were both too short, he was the closest to Toushiro in height, and she was sure Kira wouldn't mind.

After hanging them inside the bathroom for Toushiro to find, she collapsed on her bed, her arms splayed out at her sides, and just listened to the rushing water of the shower.

Truth be told, she was _extremely _nervous about bringing a visitor into her home, and it was only a hundred times worse when that visitor was her lover. She had never brought a boy home before.

Preparing for this day had meant very careful planning. It had to be a day when her family would be out, because there was no way they would ever approve of what she was doing. Luckily, they'd all had errands to run or part-time jobs to get to today, and Karin had wasted no time in rushing over to Hitsugaya's to bring him around.

Before that, however, she'd remodeled the house just a tad; mainly, she'd hidden every photo she could find, along with all their equipment, in the basement, which she'd securely locked so that no one could get inside. She'd taken special care with her own room, stripping down all pictures of her or her family and locking away all the personal mementos she had kept from that one overnight bag she had used to sleep over on the night of the fire. Now, it was just a matter of watching him closely and keeping him away from anything that might give clues about her double life away.

_Easier said than done, _she mused in her mind, curling up her knees. Toushiro had sharp eyes and was generally an extremely suspicious person, which she assumed was because of his profession. He was also talented at linking even the most baseless evidence together to find the answer that he searched for. It wasn't lost on Karin that the only reason he'd half lost their bet at all was because of the efforts of her family.

After she had become involved in the family business, a select few of them had gone back to Karakura to destroy all personal records they could find of her family, as well as their death and her adoption. Any record they couldn't erase _– _and there had been very few, with their level of skill _– _they had altered so it seemed as if she had died along with the rest of her family in the fire. They had kept copies of the records for themselves, of course, in case there ever came a day when she needed to be put back on the map, but those files were safely secured on their personal computer and protected with the most advanced firewall Nemu could program.

The most sensible course of action to take first had been to destroy anything that gave away her appearance, since the highest point in Kage's favor had always been that no one knew what the thief looked like. Luckily, her family photos had all been lost in the fire.

The rest had been left up to chance. It was just their luck that Karakura was such a small town that no newspaper gave it more attention than was necessary. There were very few articles on the explosion to begin with, and even fewer of those focused extensively on every single life that had been lost. Hitsugaya had had nothing more than very few recounts from neighbors about the Kurosaki family to base his guess off of.

Honestly, Kage was certain that if he'd been given just a _bit _more evidence to work with, Hitsugaya would have definitely discovered her true identity and won their bet.

"What are you thinking so hard about over there?" Hitsugaya's voice suddenly surprised her, and she craned her neck up to see that he had stepped out of the shower without her noticing. He'd rolled up Kira's clothes so they would fit him and was rubbing her towel against his hair.

"Just imagining you in the shower," she said easily, throwing her head back on the bed, and then patted the spot next to her to beckon him to her side. The mattress dipped a moment later as he did just that, and she wordlessly took his hand, still staring at the ceiling.

"What were you _really _thinking about?"

She grinned. He'd been able to see right through her. "I was just thinking that you're really smart." He flushed a little at the sudden compliment, and she insisted, "No, _really. _I doubt anyone else would have been able to work with the clue I gave them."

He was quiet for a while, just staring at the ceiling with her, but then mumbled, "Hey, I never got a chance to say this, but...I'm sorry. About your family," he elaborated when she looked confused. Even if he didn't have her name figured out yet, he was sure her family had been one of the ones to perish in the fire he had read about.

"Don't be," she replied with a shrug. "It was a long time ago. I figure they wouldn't want me to be sad."

"But you must miss them?" He couldn't imagine losing his parents, even if he didn't have chances to see them often these days.

"Yeah, but I have nice memories to think about when I'm sad, so..."

He inclined his head towards her and gave her hand a squeeze. "Like what?"

"Like...hanging up our art projects on the fridge," she remembered, and with a smile, she placed her head on his chest instead. "Or painting our rooms together. Holding hands with my brother and sister as we walked to school so we wouldn't wander off and get lost. Getting my brother to give me a piggyback ride home from the park after I was tired out from playing. Dancing with my dad at my kindergarten father-daughter dance and getting to stand on his feet so I wouldn't stumble. My mom brushing my hair after we took a bath together and telling me she was jealous of how soft it was."

He stroked her fringe with delicate fingers as she reminisced.

"But I have good memories in this house, too," she continued. "Don't go thinking I wasn't happy here, because I was."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he assured her.

"You know, every year on my birthday, my uncle Yumichika always made me pancakes. And every New Year, my uncle Hisagi and uncle Kira would let me help them decorate the whole house with lights, and when we finally lit them up, our entire family would sit outside with hot chocolate and just look at it."

"It sounds like your family loves you a lot," he mused, running a finger across her cheek affectionately.

"Oh, they do. It's easy to love me," she said jokingly, then glanced at him. "And what about you? What's your family like? And your childhood?"

There might have been a time in their relationship when he would have hesitated telling her of his personal life, but that stage had passed long ago, even if he wasn't exactly sure when. He launched into the story of his childhood with ease, telling her of his parents and his love for mystery since he was young, of being slightly isolated in school for his strange fascination, of finding true friends in both Ukitake and Kyouraku. He even shared his most precious memories of his mentor, something he was always reluctant to tell others.

In turn, she told him stories of herself, too. Out of the two of them she had to be more careful, so the memories she shared were carefully selected, but she told him of playing with Hanatarou and Rin at their playground, of Renji carrying her to bed when she fell asleep on the living room couch, of Kiyone and Sentarou fighting over who got to drive her to school, of sleeping with Rangiku in her room on her first few nights here to keep the nightmares away.

They didn't keep track of how long they talked, but it was the first time Karin ever felt like a real and true _person _in front of her lover. Right now, she wasn't a wisp of smoke that would disappear as soon as he tried to get close to her. She was really and truly letting him into her life. Even if he didn't know it, this was something special.

"Well, I think that's enough of my room," she eventually declared, getting off his chest and sliding off the bed. He did the same as she stretched lazily. "No more beating around the bush. We're getting a little too sappy for my taste anyway, so how about I finally show you the rest of the house now?"

He pointed towards door. "Lead the way. But, just so you know" _– _he wrapped one arm around her waist and pressed his lips to her ear from behind _– _"I didn't consider that beating around the bush."

She clapped a hand to her ear in surprise, staring at him with wide eyes as he casually stalked past her. When had _Toushiro_ become so damn smooth?

"_Definitely _too sappy for my taste," she grumbled, just before the bedroom door shut behind her.

**.. ღ ..**

Kage finished the tour of her house by, once again, widely brandishing her arms and announcing, "And _that's _my house!" She nudged his side with her elbow. "Be honest. It's not what you expected, is it?" He was rather slow to answer, and she burst into laughter. "I knew it! It's all over your face."

"It's...normal," he stated. She had a kitchen and a dining room and a living room and a coat closet, just like any other house did. There were more rooms than usual, but then again, she lived with a lot of people. He hadn't been able to look into those rooms, but that was more out of politeness than anything else; neither of them wanted to barge into a bedroom when the owner was not around and had not given permission.

There was just one room that had stuck out to him. Unlike the bedrooms, which Kage had at least explained belonged to someone from her family, they had skipped right over this room under the stairs. When she wasn't looking, he had even discretely jiggled the doorknob, only to find that it was locked. Now _that _was peculiar.

"Well, we're pretty normal people," she responded playfully.

He rolled his eyes. "But the house does have an abnormal amount of bedrooms, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." She shrugged. "My family bought this before I moved here, but apparently they always all planned to live together, so they purposely found a house this big with lots of rooms. If you haven't noticed, I live with a lot of people."

"I noticed," he scoffed, and tried to remember just how many bedrooms she had pointed out to no avail. There had simply been too many. "How many exactly?"

"Hmm..." She began ticking off people on her fingers. "Twelve. Thirteen, if you include me."

_"Twelve?" _His jaw slackened in shock. How did anyone handle living with so many people? He was the kind of person who liked his peace and quiet, and the thought of living with so many people reminded him of those brutal college days, when at least _one _idiot had to hold a party every night and kept the whole dorm awake. He'd been so glad to move out into his own house.

"Don't worry," Kage assured him teasingly, leaning into his side and looking sly. "Men and women sleep on opposite sides of the house."

He coughed loudly. "I _wasn't _worried."

"Right. Of course you weren't." She winked, but the effect of it was lost when she broke into a snicker. Still chuckling, she took his hand and pulled him into the hallway. "Come on. I'll give you a proper tour of the outside, too. I'll show you the playground I told you about."

He squeezed her hand back and followed gladly. As they were moving through the house, however, they heard a sound that caused Kage to freeze where she stood.

It was the sound of a car pulling up outside.

The noise was followed by three _thuds _that sounded like car doors closing, and then undoubtedly the sound of feet crunching on gravel.

"Oh, _no,"_ she breathed in horror, instantly yanking her hand out of his. "They're _home_."

He raised an eyebrow, suddenly nervous from anticipation. "Is that _–"_

"I am _so dead,_" she cut across him, grabbing at her hair and pulling at her locks. He got the distinct feeling she'd forgotten he was there at all. "Oh, on. No, no, no!"

And for the first time ever, Hitsugaya got to see the cool and collected Kage _panic._

"They were supposed to be out all day!" she hissed, and when she turned towards him, her eyes were wide in terror. "There's no way they would be okay with this. Oh, God. _Oh, _I am _so dead!"_

And she lunged forward, clutched the front of his shirt in her fists, and all but _threw _him into the coat closet. Racing down the hall in record speed, she grabbed his shoes by the front entrance and threw them into the closet with him, erasing any sign that he'd been there at all, and haphazardly shut the door in his face.

She peered in through the slight crack and hissed, "Keep quiet."

"What is going _–"_

_"Please!"_

And before he could get another word out, the front door swung open. Three voices drifted down the hall, two male and one female, and it sounded like an argument was taking place.

"...and it's my fault you don't know how to work a monkey wrench?"

"No, it's _your _fault that you thought a car jack would be a fun toy to play with!"_  
><em>

"He has a point. I _told _you not to touch anything."

"Oh, please! _You're _the reason his boss ended up covered head to toe in oil!"

Kage stepped into their fight with a cautious, "Uh, why are you guys home so early?"

Hitsugaya saw something bright red whisk past his closet through the crack, and then a deep male voice complained, "_These two _morons got me fired from the garage."

This time, he saw orange as a female voice rebutted, "It was all Shuuhei, I swear! I was a perfect angel."

Kage was the one who scoffed. "Please."

"What she said," the same voice from before piped up. "I thought I'd do a nice thing for you and check out why your car has been taking up so much gas lately. That wasn't an invitation for you to treat the auto shop like your personal playground. I really liked working there, you know!"

"Let the record show that I'm not the one who totaled a car," a second male voice piped up. This voice was closer than all the others, as if the person was standing right next to the closet. Hitsugaya almost stopped breathing in his effort to keep quiet.

Kage seemed to notice the same thing. "Uh, what're you doing there, Hisagi?" There was a hint of panic in her voice, but no one else seemed to notice.

"Hm? Oh, I left this jacket in Rangiku's car a few days ago. I'm just gonna hang it up."

He heard thumping that gradually increased in volume and deduced that Kage must have run in front of the man's course. "I'll do that for you!"

"...What? No, it's fine. I can _–"_

_"Seriously," _she insisted, and through the crack, he saw her wrestling the jacket from his hands. It was almost unbelievable that _this _was the Kage he had come to know. "I insist."

The answering voice sounded strained as he fought her for his jacket. "Why...are you...acting so _weird, _Ka _–"_

"Kage!" she suddenly yelled, her voice now bordering on hysteria. "I'm Kage!"

Hitsugaya's heart leaped to his throat. Had the man been about to say her real name? Could he take that as a clue?

"Uh, yeah, you are?" Confusion colored the man's voice. Hitsugaya assumed the other two were also watching the whole scene in bemusement, because they hadn't said anything. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"N-Nothing. I just meant..."

"Okay, you know what? We're gonna need to talk about why you're acting so insane. Just let me hang up my jacket first, will you?"

_"No!"_

But it was too late. He must have taken advantage of her flustered state to skirt around her and reach the closet, because the next thing Hitsugaya knew, the doors had been pulled open, revealing him to the entire room. All at once, everyone froze.

Finally, Hitsugaya could see everyone in the room clearly. The man before him had dark hair and a vulgar tattoo on his cheek, and he stared back at him with what Hitsugaya assumed was the same fish-out-of-water expression on his own face. Farther back, there was a woman with a _very _large bust and orange hair staring at him as if he were a demon. A red-headed, heavily tattooed man stood next to her, looking like he was too shocked to properly process what had just happened. Kage just looked like she could have passed out any second.

After an excruciatingly long moment of silence, they all simultaneously turned towards Kage.

The blonde woman found her voice again first, as she glared at her surrogate niece.

"Missy," she hissed. "You. Are. _So. Dead."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I had to cut this short from my original plan for this chapter since it was getting kind of long (and then I _never _would have finished -.-), but I felt like it was important to talk about exactly _why _Toushiro guessed her name wrong _– _his sources were _very _limited, thanks to Karin's family _– _and I wanted to give you the aftereffects of their bet.

And speaking of the bet, just as Karin put it, you didn't really think she would let a novice like Toushiro do one of her recoveries, did you? :P Remember, she trained for _years _before she was allowed to do a job herself. Yup, from the beginning it was just one of her pranks :)

Next chapter, Toushiro gets to be subjected to her crazy family, haha.


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